You Are My Life
by FigmentImage
Summary: After Spokane, it is discovered that there are threats to Rose inside and outside St Vladamir Academy, how far will Dimitri go to protect Rose and will he ever reveal his feelings for her?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter1: Distraction

Ugh! My back hits the mat again for the fourth time in a row. I stare into those chocolate brown eyes again and those gorgeous lips are moving but I hear no sound coming from them because the only senses that seem to be working are my sight and touch. I feel his hands wrapped tightly around my wrists on either side of my head and his body is hovering over mine, so close that I can feel the heat coming off him. His knees are on either side of my hips and his feet are at my knees, he is so close but yet so far away from me. I look down from his lips to his chest which is breathing just as fast as mine.

The next thing that I know is that I am being pulled upward and placed on my feet, but it is so unexpected that I start to fall backwards and I feel his hand snake behind my waist to support me. Once I regain my balance, my other senses begin to work again and I hear Dimitri say "Rose, have you heard a word that I have said".

"What?" I said, "I'm sorry Dimitri, what were you saying?"

"I was asking you if you were alright. Your head does not seem to be here. I have taken you down four times today, much easier than it should have been. The only thing in your favor was that each fight lasted about five minutes. But I expect more from you at this point. You should have been able to take me down at least once. What is going on? Why are you so distracted? Are you having nightmares again?"

"No, no nightmares lately. I am sorry I don't know why I am so distracted lately." I said. But I thought to myself, I know exactly why I am distracted and it's your scent and body and wait Rose pull yourself together. I started shaking my head to clear the thoughts and I look back at Dimitri as he is opening his mouth to say something, when the gym doors open. We both look in that direction of the door to see Tasha walking in and I notice she is wearing jeans, a really tight shirt and more than enough makeup.

"Hi Dimka, Hi Rose, how are you doing?" Tasha says with a big smile that seems a little fake.

"Hi Tasha" I smile and wave, trying to be as polite as I can. I still can't stand her after I heard about the proposition that she made to Dimitri and I also don't like the fact that she says she is on campus hanging around to keep an eye on Christian, but she seems to be keeping a closer eye on Dimitri. And I hate the fact that she calls him Dimka, like his family does and I know Dimitri does not like it either and has asked her not to call him that especially in his work environment.

"Dimka, I was wondering if you were done with your little lesson here, if you were free for dinner?" Tasha asked.

Dimitri sighed "No, Tasha, unfortunately, I am unavailable for dinner, I am scheduled to guard the Princess." Turning towards me Dimitri says " Rose, try to get a good night sleep, I want you focused in the morning."

Dimitri picked up his gym bag and headed to the men's locker room; he gave Tasha a nod and then went thru the door to the showers. I grabbed my bag and looked up to see Tasha walking out the gym door. I went to the women's locker rooms and turned the shower on hot. I just stood under it and just let my mind wander to Dimitri and our sparring which led me to thinking about his body. After a while, " Rose" I said to myself, "snap out of it, this is your problem!" I don't know why my mind was wandering all the time and why I was having such a hard time concentrating. I quickly finished my shower and got dressed and gather my belongings.

As I started walking to the cafeteria for dinner, my phone starts dinging, I look down and realize I have three texts, two from Lissa and one from Adrian. I looked at the time and realize that I had been in the shower for 45 minutes. I look at Lissa's texts, and she was asking where I am, I sent a quick text that I am on my way. I look at the text from Adrian, which says "Cradle robber is here, where r u?" I just roll my eyes at that message. I walk in the cafeteria and see Lissa looking at me intently, I can feel through the bond that she is worried. I give her a smile and walk over and drop my bag down at the empty chair and tell her "I'm fine Lissa, no need to worry. Hey everyone, anything good for dinner?"

Eddie snorts "Is there ever anything good for dinner."

I walk to the food line and I can feel Dimitri's eyes on me, as I look over to where he is sitting with the other guardians, he is looking at me with concern in his eyes. He looks back down to his food, I see a huge portion of food that I know he is trying to wolf down before starting his shift in ten minutes. I quickly go through the line not really paying particular attention to what I am getting, just grabbing food, because I now realize how hungry I am. I get back to the table and set my food down just as Christian says "Hey piggy, do you have enough food there?"

"Shut it Sparky or I'll shut it for you" I spit out as Christian laughs and Lissa hits him upside the head. "Ow" Christian says.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, I knew even before I saw him that it was Dimitri because I could smell his aftershave. Ever the professional guardian, Dimitri addressed Lissa first. "Princess".

Lissa ever the diplomat said, "Hello, Guardian Belikov"

I heard Adrian state under his breath" Cradle Robber" I just hoped no one else heard it.

"Novice Hathaway, may I have a word with you" Dimitri asked.

Lissa looked from Dimitri to me with worried eyes, "I'll be right back" I said and gave Lissa a look that said, don't worry about it.

I stepped over to where Dimitri was standing near the wall away from everyone. "Yes?" I asked Dimitri.

"Are you sure you are all right? Your friends were worried about where you were when I got here. What took you over an hour to get here?" Dimitri asked me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was taking a shower, I guess I just lost track of time. It's nothing really." I replied.

Dimitri grabbed the bridge of his nose "Rose, please tell me what is going on, what is distracting you so much? "

"I don't know, I just start drifting off thinking about other things, it is not anything specific, my mind starts wondering" I said.

"Okay" Dimitri said with a sigh" What do you have for homework?"

"Just some reading for Moroi Studies and work on a paper for Alto's class, why?" I asked.

"Bring your paper with you in the morning, so I can look at it." Dimitri stated.

"Why? It's not a western" I joked.

Dimitri gave me that look, like really. "Sorry" I said "but why do you want to look at it?"

"I want to see if you are as distracted in your studies as you are in practice and with your friends. Rose, I am really starting to get worried about you. I don't know what is distracting you, but we need to figure this out. You know as well as I do that as a Guardian a moments distraction can cause..." Dimitri stopped talking.

"Yeah, I know" I stated looking down at the ground.

"Look" Dimitri started "Rose, everyone here is here for you, we all want you to succeed. We want you to be the Princess's Guardian. "

"Your right Dimitri" I stated "I can't believe I am letting myself get distracted. I don't know why I am letting myself get like this."

"Don't worry Rose" Dimitri said, as he put a hand on my shoulder "Like I said, we are all here for you, to help you. Bring your paper tomorrow morning, I'll read what you have while you run laps. If your writing is just as distracted, we will go talk to Guardian Petrov and see what we can do."

"What?" I started to ramble "you can't tell her…"

Dimitri cut me off "Rose, relax, this is not a punishment, we are just going to help you through this. We are here for you, you don't have to go through this alone. It could be an after effect of Spokane, maybe it just senioritis, maybe an effect of the bond. But we are here to help you." Dimitri took a small step towards me and lowered his voice "I'm here for you Roza. Okay?"

I looked up into those warm chocolate eyes and said "Okay, Dimitri, Thanks. I promise I will get it together for Lissa's sake."

"Okay Rose, go eat dinner and I will see you in the morning." Dimitri stated as my stomach growled on cue. We both laughed at that and the hand that was on my shoulder lightly turned me around and fell to the small of my back as he guided me back towards my friends at the table and Dimitri went to take his place against the wall, relieving Guardian Mathews.

I sat down and began inhaling my food. As I did, I looked around at my friends and realized that they were worried about me. Lissa's eyes were practically boring a hole thru me and I could feel thru the bond all the worry she was feeling. Christian was looking at me thru the corner of his eye and then to Lissa and then back at me. The fact that Christian didn't say another word about the amount of food I was eating or how fast I was eating, made me realize that he was worried as well. At this moment, he reminded me of how Andre, Lissa's older brother, would be overprotective of me at times. Even though Christian and I fight like cats and dogs, I guess it is really a sister and brother relationship ever since Spokane. Speaking of Spokane, I glanced over at Eddie who was eyeing me definitely like an older brother.

Since Spokane, Eddie and I have become even closer than we were before, he was always looking out for me. We were two of the top fighters, he had been working out a lot lately and had put on a lot of muscle lately. He wasn't up to Dimitri's standard, but he was getting close. It was funny at times, Moroi guys stopped approaching me, or would abruptly leave anytime Eddie was near me. I had an undeserved reputation as being an easy girl thanks to Jesse and Ralf, but thanks to Eddie, the rumors were dying down. Eddie's presence and the fact that I spend the majority of time with Dimitri, in class or working on homework and had not been to any parties since Lissa and I got back was helping to keep the boys away. I knew because of all the extra workouts, my body was definably in good shape and I knew that I was getting more stares, but thanks to Eddie and Dimitri, I was considered untouchable by most males. This was fine by me since there was only one male I wanted, my sexy Russian god. There I go again, my mind wandering off. Just then Adrian speaks "Rose" everyone's head turned to Adrian, he never called me Rose, "Are you taking darkness from Lissa?"

"Not intentionally, Why?" I asked.

"I don't know, it's just your aura is all different shades of gray and swirling really fast, like you are indecisive about something" Adrian said.

"Oh, I've just been distracted lately. I think it's just realizing we are nearing the end of our senior year, you know getting senioritis or something." I said. I finished my food in record time and started to get my stuff together. As I stood up, Adrian grabbed my arm and said to me "You know I'm here if you need me, little dhampir, anytime no matter what."

"Thanks Adrian, I fine, but I will keep that in mind. Right now you will all have to excuse me, I have some homework to work do." I said to my friends.

I stood up and grabbed my bag and tray, Lissa stood up with me and said "Christian if you don't mind, I am going to walk with Rose, I will talk to you later tonight?" Lissa asked.

Christian replied "Yeah, sure no problem, talk to you later babe, see you Rose".

Eddie chimed in "See you in the am Rose, night Lissa"

Adrian piped in "Night little dhampir, cousin."

Lissa and I walked to put our trays away just as Jesse and Ralf came up to us.

"Hey Rose, Lissa" Jesse spewed.

"What do you want Jesse?" I asked. "Eyes up here" I said as I watched Jesse's eyes look up and down my body. I could sense Dimitri behind us. I swear I thought I heard a growl, but no one else seemed to react so I figured I was just imagining things.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to party tonight, you know for old time sake's?" Jesse asked.

"Sorry, Jesse, I got homework tonight, come on Lissa, let's get going." I said as I dropped my tray off and turned to go to the door. But Jesse grabbed my arm and said "Come on Rose, you know you want to". Before I could respond to Jesse, Dimitri growled "Jesse Zeklos, I believe I have warned you in the past about touching Rose, kindly remove your hand from Rose's arm and step away." Jessie quickly let go of my arm as he and Ralf walked away.

I walked to the door and Lissa followed me and Dimitri followed Lisa. We walked across campus towards my dorm, Lissa started chatting about needing a day to go off campus shopping and thought she would ask Kirova if she could get permission to go. She was wondering if she should invite Tasha, Christian's Aunt to come with us. I knew she wanted to make a good impression on Tasha seeing how she was Christian's only family. I personally did not want her to come because she would probably hang on Dimitri the entire time, but for Lissa's sake, I kept it to myself. "I think you should defiantly invite Tasha to come, I am sure she would love it." I said to Lissa.

"Alright, that sounds great. I am going to talk to Kirova in the morning to see if we can set it up for this Sunday, since you don't have practice or anything." Lissa replied happily. "We can start looking for graduation dresses and dresses for our last senior dance. "

"Yeah, sounds great" I tried to sound enthusiastic, but my financial situation was not as well off as Lissa's and I know with her Trust Fund, she didn't mind buying clothes for me, but I didn't want her to think I expected her to buy things for me and I always felt bad asking her for things. I looked back at Dimitri and he gave me a small nod and smile, as if to say he understood my position.

We made into the novice dorms, Lissa and Dimitri followed me up to the third floor, because there were few female novices, there was just me and two other girls on the floor. Sometimes I enjoyed the quietness, but sometimes I missed how the male novice dorms were, where it was total chaos and everyone had their doors open and everyone was back and forth between each other's rooms. When I really missed it I would hang out with Mason and now I would hang out with Eddie.

Lissa and I walked into my room and put our bags down, Dimitri stood in the doorway and surveyed the room, then looked at Lissa and said "Princess, I will be right outside if you need me."

"Thank you Guardian Belikov" Lissa said.

I looked up as Dimitri was closing the door and our eyes met for a brief second. I sighed as I thought about how much I love those chocolate eyes. I had been jealous of Lissa for many reasons over the years but I was never more jealous when I knew Dimitri was guarding her. I knew it was stupid but ever since we came back to the Academy and he was assigned to her, I wished he was always outside guarding my door just like he was doing right now.

Lissa started talking about Moroi studies bringing back my attention to her. We worked on it for two hours until it was almost curfew time. I was so thankful that she came over and that we got thru a lot of the work we needed to do for Moroi studies. We even got thru enough that we wouldn't have to worry about doing anything this weekend, therefore, we could go shopping. Plus Lissa was able to keep my attention on the subject, I am not sure how, but I was thankful that she did and that I was able to retain the information. Just as we were closing our books, my phone rang. I looked at the caller id, there must have been a look on my face, because Lissa almost shouted "Oh my god Rose, who is it calling you"

It was loud enough that I knew Dimitri heard it because I saw the door knob turn and the door opened ever so slightly, I said to Lissa "It's my Mom" and noticed the door open just a tad more.

I answered the phone" Hey Mom, what's up?" I was trying to be upbeat because I know she was trying ever since Spokane.

"Rosemarie, I am well, how are you doing?" She said.

"Okay, how about you?" I replied.

"I'm good, my charge is going to court for a few weeks, so I am taking advantage of that time and taking a few weeks off as well." My Mom stated.

"Oh, that sounds nice" I replied.

My mom took a deep breath and said" I am going to come to the Academy for at least a week, maybe more. I have a few thinks to discuss with you. First, I have been thinking about my future and my plans for the future and I wanted to get your thoughts about that. And I also spoke with Alberta when I let her know I was coming and she shared with me that she felt you had been distracted lately. I just thought we could talk about things, and maybe discuss your future as well."

"Okay" I said trying my hardest not to be annoyed, since I knew she was trying, I felt I should give it an effort as well. "That sounds good, when do you think you will be here?"

"Probably Saturday, but I will give you a call when I know for certain." She said. "Have a good night"

"Bye Mom, talk to later." I said and then I hung up the phone. Lissa was staring at me with questioning eyes. I looked at her and told her the rest of the conversation, when I finished I noticed the door had been shut. Apparently Dimitri had heard what he wanted to hear and a small part of my heart grew bigger, I loved how he seemed to always be looking out for me. Lissa collected up all her belongings and I walked her to the door and just before she opened the door, she said "Don't worry about your Mom, you are going shopping with me on Sunday even if I have to use compulsion on her."

I laughed out loud and was holding my stomach as I imagined Lissa using compulsion of my mother, part of me knew she was joking and part of me thought she might be actually telling the truth because I know how much she loves shopping. I opened the door and saw Dimitri who was nodding at Lissa but I also noted that there was a quick smirk on his face, before his guardian mask went back up. But I knew he heard what Lissa said but he was pretending he had not heard it as it was illegal to use compulsion on Moroi or Dhampirs.

"Princess" Dimitri stated "Novice Hathaway I will see you in the morning"

"Bye Lissa"

"Bye Rose, see you at breakfast" Just then I felt love pour through the bond.

"Thanks, Lissa"

I watched Dimitri look back and forth between us, how he also seems to look at us when he knows we are communicating thru the bond as though he is trying to figure out what we are saying.

I closed the door after I watched Lissa and Dimitri walk down the hall to the stairs. I starting packing my bag for the gym with Dimitri tomorrow and started straightening up my room. I took a shower trying to do anything to procrastinate from working my paper. Finally, I walked over to my desk and started up my laptop and started looking at my paper for Alto's class and prepared myself for an hour or two of complete boredom.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Deception

Dimitri POV

As I followed the Princess out of the Novice dorms and started walking toward the Moroi dorms Guardian Emil approached us. "Forgive me Princess" Guardian Emil stated "Guardian Belikov sorry for the interruption but Guardian Petrov is requesting your presence in her office. I will be taking the rest of your shift. Princess I will show you to your room."

"Thank you Emil, goodnight Princess, I will see you tomorrow" I said.

"Thank you Guardian Belikov"

I walked to Guardian Petrov's office, I am sure it had something to do about Rose. As I walked into the administrative building, I knocked on Petrov's open door.

"Ah, Dimitri, come on in, please close the door behind you. Would you like some coffee?" Alberta said.

"Thank you Guardian Petrov" I said as I closed the door and then headed towards the coffee pot and grab a cup of coffee and sat one of the seats in front of her desk.

"Dimitri, how many times have I told you to call me Alberta?" She stated.

"Sorry" I replied. I was used to being informal with Ivan, but not when at Court or the Academy.

"Anyways, Janine called Rose tonight." Alberta began.

"Yes, the Princess was with Rose tonight when the phone call came in." I replied "So I overheard the conversation that took place and that she is planning on coming here this weekend. I know I only learned of the information yesterday but I have to say I am uncomfortable with Rose being kept in the dark about what is going on."

Alberta took a deep breath "Do you think she has a clue about what is going on?"

"I don't think so, she is so distracted and I am not sure why, I was waiting till tomorrow to see how Rose was in practice, then I planned on having a meeting with you and Rose. She has been very distracted in training, I was able to take her down every time. She usually takes me down at least once plus she had many opening to take me down and she never acted on any of them. And when I went to dinner tonight, I overheard that all her friends were worried about how distracted she has been lately. I told Rose to bring me her paper for Guardian Alto's class so I could read it and then determine if it is affecting her classwork as well and if it is, then we can figure out how bad her distractions are. In the few classes, I have been guarding, I noticed she is drifting off and not paying attention. So my plan was to set up a meeting with you after training to set up a plan on how to proceed." I said as I sighed.

Alberta responded "That sounds like a good idea, we should have some sort of plan to help her because when Janine and Abe arrive at the Academy, I am afraid that she is going to go ballistic. Rose has never been subtle about her feelings."

"True" I stated "plus I am worried how she is going to react to the threats against her. How strong is the information?"

"When I talked with Janine, she said that Abe had strong evidence that there are threats to Rose due to his business dealings. Abe said he was able to keep her identity secret from his enemies until Rose and the Princess ran away and after Spokane, he says there are rumors of strigois wanting revenge on her."

Dimitri took a deep breath and said "I know Mr. Mazur wants to use his own guardians to protect Rose, but I would like to request that Guardian Mathews and I protect Rose. I think since we already know the "lay of the land" so to speak and we would be better equipped to protect her."

"Well Janine and Abe will be here soon, Abe wants to give Rose her own set of guardians, which right now I don't think is a bad idea, we can discuss how to reorganize staff with his chief Guardian Pavel to offer Rose protection. Oh and I have added surveillance cameras to the dhampir dorms as well as the Moroi dorms and guest accommodations, it's the best I can do for now." Alberta said as she shook her head.

"Just a head's up the Princess is going to suggest to Headmistress Kirova a shopping trip for her, Rose, Christian and Lady Ozera." I informed Petrov. "And probably Lord Ivashkov and Novice Castile will probably go as well."

"That might not be a bad idea, after Rose hears everything from her parents , she might need a day off. Abe is bringing extra guardians with him, so we will have plenty to send with them on a shopping trip, however I will send you and Mathews as well."

"Thank you Alberta, I would appreciate it." I said.

Alberta nodded and then began "I am not sure right now what to do with Rose's living situation. I am not sure if we should move her into guest housing so we can accommodate her guards or use one of the rooms that used to be used for the floor matron when there were more female students."

"Well, from what I know of Rose, I think the best idea would to move her to the floor matron's suite on her floor, it will minimize the disruption to her life and I think she feel ostracized if she were in guest quarters." I stated.

"You are probably right. Okay, well when her parents get her on Saturday, the plan is for them to tell her everything, Janine has requested me to be there. But I also suggested that you be allowed to be there as well. You seem to have a calming effect on her. And I have also spoken with Stan and explained that Rose will be under some extreme stress for the next few weeks, and have told him to go easy on her. I have also rostered you to be in the majority of her novice classes as well." Alberta explained.

"Thank you I appreciate that. How about tomorrow we meet with Rose at 5am to discuss her distraction and see if we can figure out a plan, I think we really need to get that straightened out and let her know we are supporting her prior to Saturday." I stated.

"That's a good idea, thanks Dimitri, I'll see you at 5 am tomorrow. Have a good night." Alberta stated.

Goodnight Alberta" I stated.

As I walked back to my room, I thought about how Rose's life was going to change, but I was determined to be there for her. I don't know if it's my place or not, but I want her to have someone she can confide in. I know Rose loves the Princess, but she doesn't like to burden her with her problems. I reached my room, unlocked my door, walked in and closed and locked the door and hung my duster on the back of the door. I got my gym bag ready for tomorrow's session with Rose, I think she will need an outlet for her stress and I think more sparring will help her with that outlet. Once that was done I jumped into the shower and put on a pair of flannel pajamas pants and a t-shirt and crawled into bed and grabbed my latest western and tried to read. But my mind kept wandering to Rose, I didn't like keeping information from her about her life. I wanted to be the person she could come to when she needed someone and be the one to protect her. After denying it for so long, I finally admitted to myself that I am in love with Rose Hathaway.


	3. Chapter 3

Trigger Warning: Suggestion of Sexual Assualt

Chapter 3: Danger

RPOV

I looked at the clock it was now 11am,I had been working on my assignment for an hour and half so far and I had gotten thru more than I thought I would. It was actually quite interesting, not that I would let Alto know that. We were given a bunch of scenarios about protecting Morori and we had to explain the answers to the scenarios as we also needed to explain our rationales. I figured I had done enough of the assignment so I started to collect everything and put everything in my book bag for tomorrow when there was a knock at the door. I went over to the door and opened it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I felt like I was waking up from a dream. I don't know how I got here, but I was on my bed and someone was on top of me, kissing me. It was definitely a male on top of me because I could feel his hard-on on my thigh. The first thought that comes to mind is that I hope this is Dimitri, but the voice inside my head is telling me probably not because how could I forget him coming into my room and kissing me like this. I put my hands on the person's chest and he has some muscles but he is lean, not muscular like Dimitri. That's when I start to panic, so I push the person up and I open my eyes and I can't believe what I am seeing. Jesse is on top of me and as I push him further away he smiles and pushes himself further into my thigh.

"Jesse, what the fuck, get off me" I screamed.

Jesse then had this look in eye that I had never seen before and it kind of scared me. The next thing I knew Jesse punched me in the face. It wasn't as hard as if I had gotten hit by a novice but I was definitely going to have a black eye. I pushed Jesse harder and threw off my bed. I jumped out of my bed, but Jesse jumped up at the same time.

Jesse said "Come on Rose, what is the big deal, you said you wanted to party"

"What are you talking about, Jesse, get the hell out of my room." I screamed. God I wished we had a busier floor, then someone would hear me. When numbers were higher, there was always a guardian living on each floor, just like on the boys floor.

I saw that same look in Jesse's eye again, just as another punch came at me this time splitting my lip open. What the hell, I grabbed Jesse's other arm twisted it behind his back and shoved him up against the wall next to my door. I opened my door and pushed him out and immediately close the door and locked it. What was going on. I looked at the clock and realized it was 12pm, how did I lose an hour? I went to the mirror in my room and cleaned up the blood off my lip. I don't know why I did this but I pulled on Dimitri's sweatshirt that I still had after the lust charm and I grabbed this stupid stuffed dog that I have had since I came to the academy and I hid under my bed. I don't know why I did, but I just felt strongly that's what I needed to do. At some point I fell asleep.

I woke up to pounding at my door. This intense feeling of fear came over me, was it Jesse coming back. Again I heard pounding, then I heard the key enter the lock and turn, then click and the door opened.

"Rose?" Dimitri said. I wanted to scream out but something just prevented me from moving or speaking. "Roza?" I watched as his size 13 combat boots walked in to the room look around, then I heard a string of Russian words that I assume were curse words as he refuse to teach me any. I so wanted to reach out and touch those boots but I just could not make my body move. Dimitri walked out of the door and silent tears fell, I wanted so much for him to reach out and comfort me but my body was betraying my mind and would not move. I took a deep breath and I could still smell his aftershave on the sweatshirt. That smell calmed me down and I must have fallen back to sleep. Sometime later, I heard more knocking at the door, and the door opened and I recognized Lissa's shoes, plus I could feel thru the bond her worry. "Rose? Rose are you here? Christian I don't get it where could she be? I don't get it, she doesn't show up for her practice and she doesn't show up for breakfast or lunch? "

"I know Liss, I am worried about her too" Christian stated.

"Princess, Lord Ozera, both Guardian Petrov and Headmistress Kirova have been alerted to Novice Hathaway's disappearance. Guardian Mathews stated. Again I wanted to reach out to Lissa but this fear just overcame me and my body would not let me move or say anything.

"Lissa, come on let's check some other places that she might be. " Christian softly said.

The door closed and I shrank back further into my hiding spot. I pulled the sweatshirt up to my nose again and inhaled deeply and a sense of calm came over me. I must have fallen asleep because I woke to knocking at my door again. The door opened and I could tell it was to men by the size and type of shoe. I froze thinking maybe it was Jesse and Ralf coming back. "Why are we here Adrian, Guardian Belikov, Lissa and Christian all said they looked in her room and said that she not here." Eddie said. Again I wanted to reach out to Eddie, he'd protect me. But I just couldn't make my arm move.

"Eddie, she's here, I can see her aura, she's hiding under the bed." Adrian said.

Next thing I see is Eddie's face under my bed. "Hey sweetie" he gently says. He reaches out his arm to me and I so desperately want to take it, but I can't, my body will not obey my mind. Then Eddie reaches out with both hands and pulls me out. Adrian is kneeling on the floor next to him.

"What the fuck" Adrian says harshly. "Rose" Adrian softens his tone "what happened?" Tears just start streaming down my face. Eddie effortlessly picks me up in his arms and start carrying me. He doesn't feel as good as Dimitri but none the less I am comfortable in his arms. We get outside and we start heading for the infirmary. I have no idea why but I start squirming and screaming "No". Eddie stops and says "Okay Rose, it's okay, relax"

I stop squirming in his arms, I feel that he begins walking in a different direction. Adrian asks "where are you going, she needs to see the doctor" I start squirming again. "Rose, stop, its okay, Adrian, I am taking her to Belikov, he will know what to do."

I feel us going back inside then up a flight of stairs and finally stop and hear a knock on the door. The door opens and I hear Dimitri say "Finally, where did you find her?" I can tell a stronger pair of arms grab me and then I feel the warmth of Dimitri's chest and the scent of his aftershave fills my nose and I take a deep breath and I can feel calmness com over me. I feel Dimitri put me on the bed but I still feel cradled in his arms.

"We found her in her room under her bed, the only way I knew it was her was that I could see her aura. It appears as if someone has assaulted her. As to how much and how bad we don't know, we could only see her face and she freaked out when we tried to take her to the infirmary." Adrian said.

I feel Dimitri maneuver himself and pull my hair back, I keep my eyes shut because I can't bear to look at him, but I can feel the tears coming down my face.

"Oh Roza," Dimitri states quietly as he brushes the tears away with his thumb. Then he lightly caresses my left eye and my bottom lip. I feel Dimitri shift slightly, then I hear him dial his phone.

"Guardian Petrov, Adrian and Eddie found Rose and brought her to me. She appears to have been assaulted but she started to freak out when they tried to bring her to the infirmary. Can you get Dr. Olendzki and the Princess to my room?" Dimitri states. He listens for a moment and says "Thank you" and hangs up the phone.

After Dimitri puts his phone down he starts to move me off his lap and I just grab on to his shirt and cry out "no, don't let me go". Dimitri clutches me closer, thank god, and says into my hair. "Roza, what happened to you?"

All I can do is clutch him closer and cry over and over "don't leave me, don't leave me".

Dimitri softly says "I won't leave you. Shhhh. Your safe." And he also starts speaking softly in Russian to me.

A short time later, I hear the door open and I feel Lissa through the bond and hear her as well as she yells "Oh my god Rose, are you okay, what happened."

Even though I love Lissa, I just can't let go of Dimitri to look at her or respond to her.

I hear Lissa cry "What's wrong with her, why won't she look or talk to me?"

Dimitri responds to her "I am not sure Princess, but she was assaulted at some point between last night and this morning and she won't tell anyone what happened."

Lissa gasps "What" through the bond I hear Lissa ask me what happened and who could do this.

I hear more footsteps which just cause me to shrink into Dimitri further. Dimitri says "Guardian Petrov, Dr. Olendzki."

Alberta asks, "Has she said anything about what happened?"

"No, but she has a black eye and a split lip, those are the only injuries we can see right now. Adrian and Eddie found her under her bed." Dimitri said.

Alberta states "Alright, Novice Castile, Lord Ivashkov, and Lord Ozera, let's step into the hall and let Dr. Olendski check out Rose. Princess can you stay in case you are needed for healing?"

"Yes, of course" Lissa replied.

"Alright" Dr. Olendzki starts "Rose, can I see your eye?"

I just hold on to Dimitri and shake my head no. "Rose, it's okay, I am right here. I won't let you go, just let her see her eye." Dimitri says.

I just continue to shake my head no, I don't know why I am so afraid, there is just this over-whelming fear.

"Okay, Rose can you tell me if you are injured anywhere else?" Dr. Olendzki asks.

I want to tell her no, it was just my eye and my lip but again my brain is not allowing me.

"Well, I think at this point, Princess, if you don't mind healing her, maybe she will tell her later, but if there are more injuries, we are not going to get them at this point." Dr. Olendzki states.

I feel Lissa walk over towards Dimitri and me and she places her hand on the side of my face that is not plastered into Dimitri's chest and I feel the hot and cold of her healing. My lip and eye are no longer pounding and some of the fear that I had been feeling lessens and I release my grip from Dimitri a little and look out for the first time at Lissa and say "Thanks Lissa"

I see her smile and say "anytime Rose" and even though she has tears running down her face she sends a surge of love thru the bond.

I hear Dr. Olendzki open the door and explain to Alberta what happened Dr. Olendzki leaves but everyone comes back into Dimitri's room. Alberta states "Okay, so here is the plan Novice Castile and Lord Ivashkov, please return to your rooms. As well as Lord Ozera, Princess for the foreseeable future Guardian Emil and Guardian Moore will be taking over and Guardian Emil is here to take you back to your room."

Eddie says "Bye Rose, love ya."

Adrian sighs "Love you, little dhampir"

Christian states "love you Rosie like a little sister"

I hear everyone start to leave, and Lissa again sends a surge of love thru the bond as she leaves.

"Rose, we are moving you to the matrons room on your floor, it has two rooms you will be sharing a room with Guardian Mathews and Guardian Belikov will be in the other room. I have spoken with your mother about today's events and she will be here on Saturday and hopefully by then you can tell us what happened and we can deal with the events at hand. Okay?" Alberta stated.

"Okay" I managed to squeak out.

"Alright, Guardian Mathews will meet you at the dorm. Guardian Belikov, please pack some things and then escort Rose to her room so she can pack some things and I will be by tomorrow at 7:30 pm to see how you are doing Rose." Alberta informed.

"Thanks, Alberta." Dimitri stated. Then I heard footsteps and the door close.

At that I took a deep breath in and let out a big sigh.

I felt Dimitri start to move and I started to grab him again so he wouldn't let me go.

Dimitri kissed my hair and then said "Roza, look at me."

I finally and slowly pulled my head out of his chest and looked at him. He kissed my forehead and looked at me with such love and devotion and said. "Roza, I am so sorry this happened to you and when you're ready I want you to tell me what happened. But I want you to know from here on out, I am going to protect you and love you with all that I am."

With that silent tears started falling down my face. He wiped them with the pads of his thumbs and he gave me the softest kiss and said "Please don't cry, my love" and then he pulled me into his chest.

My heart exploded, I can't believe he just said he loved me. Oh my god. He loves me. Yes! My Russian God just said he loves me.

"Roza, I need to get up now so I can pack a bag so we can move to the new suite on your floor." I looked up and smiled sheepishly at him and moved off his lap over onto the bed. He stood up and kissed my left eye and lip where I had been injured.

He went to his bureau and started placing clothes in his duffle bag and then he went to his bathroom and packed his toiletries. I was looking at the quilt remembering the last time I was here on the night of the lust charm. Dimitri brought me out of my thoughts when he asked if I was ready to go.

When I stood up I was still holding my old stuff dog and Dimitri chuckled "he's cute, does he have a name?"

I laughed "I've had him since I came to the academy, I am not sure why I grabbed him today, but his name is Pavel."

I saw Dimitri's face falter for a second before his Guardian mask went back up.

"What was that look for?" I inquired.

"Oh, nothing, just an interesting name, where did it come from?"

"I don't know, I don't remember naming him, it was just always his name."

"Alright, let's go get your stuff Novice Hathaway" Dimitri said as he put his duffle bag on his shoulder and his gym bag while he guided me out of his room. We walked across to the novice dorms in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. I liked how we could be together like that.

Once we were in my room, he stood outside dutifully while I packed a few things. I already had my gym bag ready and my school bag ready. I threw a few outfits into another bag as well as my toiletries.

As I started to walk out the door with my three bags, Dimitri immediately grabbed my gym bag and my school bag. God, I loved this man. I gave him a little smile and I was rewarded with a smile from him that just made my heart beat faster.

We walked down the hall and into the dorm matron's room. I opened the door and there was Guardian Mathews cleaning the kitchen and on the table were two huge servings of mac and cheese.

"Hey guys, I figured neither of you had eaten so we got the kitchen to bring over some food you and they stocked the refrigerator as well." Guardian Mathews said.

My stomach growled on cue. I went to the bedroom on the right which has the twin beds to put my bag down. Dimitri followed me and said "Take the bed farthest from the door."

"Okay" , he gave me my two bags and then he walked out across the way to the other bedroom to drop his things off. I went and sat down and started eating and Dimitri came out and starting eating as well. Guardian Mathews stated "It's a little dusty in here because no one has been in here for a bit, but it's not too bad."

Dimitri's phone began to ring. "Belikov" He listened to the caller. "Okay, I will leave as soon as he gets here." Dimitri hung up the phone and said "That was Alberta, she wants me to go to her office as soon as Guardian Andrews get here".

A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. Dimitri got up and put his hand on his stakes and asked "who is it."

"Guardian Andrews"

Dimitri opened the door to let him in. Dimitri said "Novice Hathaway I will be with Guardian Petrov, either Guardian can reach me if you need me." I nodded and he left and closed the door behind him. I finished my food and took mine and Dimitri's plates and washed them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Information

DPOV

I knocked on Alberta's door and waited for her to tell me to come in. She took one look at me and just pointed to the ever full coffee pot and I got a cup and sat down. Alberta took a deep breath as she shuffled around some papers and then blew her breath out. She opened her mouth and started to say something and then snapped her mouth shut. I have never seen Alberta fluster or at a loss of words before, I knew this was hard for her since she loved Rose like a daughter. We had learned two days ago that there was a credible threat on Rose's life because of her father and that is why Rose's mother was now coming with her father and an army of guardians. But after what happened today, I didn't know if whoever assaulted Rose was part of her father's threat or if there was now a new threat present.

Alberta started speaking, bringing me out of my thoughts "So here is the footage from outside of Rose's room from last night, it's just video, there is no sound, so we don't know what was said. But Dimitri, just brace yourself, you are not going to like this."

With a sense of dread, I got up to look at the computer screen over Alberta's shoulder. I watched as Alberta fast forward the tape from when the Princess and I left at 9am. I see Tasha and Jesse knock on her door at around 11am. Rose opens it and it appears that Tasha is talking to her for about 15 minutes but Rose has this glossed over look on her face. I start swearing in Russian as I realize Tasha is using compulsion on Rose.

After about 15 minutes I see both Tasha and Jesse go into Rose's room and 30 minutes later, Tasha walks out of her room alone. I clench my fists as I try not to think what Jesse is in there doing to Rose. Alberta fast forwards, the tape and 15 minutes later, we see Rose pushing Jesse out of her room and you can see her lip is split and her left eye is red and swollen. I take some deep breathes because all I want to do is go find Jesse and beat the crap out of him.

Alberta looks at me "I know what you want to do. I want to do the same thing. However, we have to wait till Rose tells us what happened, if she can, my guess is Lady Ozera compelled her for some reason." Alberta said as I went back around the desk to sit on the chair. Alberta further explained "The first thing we need to find out is what Rose remembers about the incident. If she remembers being hit by either Lady Ozera or Jesse, then we can deal with that aspect. Plus, we can discipline Jesse for being out after curfew and speak to him about what he was doing with Lady Ozera in the first place."

Alberta takes a deep breath and says "Secondly, we have to deal with Lady Ozera and her potentially compelling Rose." Alberta paused and then said "I suspect that Tasha is doing this because she is in love with you but you are in love with Rose and now Tasha is going after Rose."

I hang my head but nodded yes. "Tasha asked me to be her guardian so that we could start a family. I told her no, that I was not interested and my plan was to continue guarding the Princess"

"I am guessing she was not happy with that answer."

"No, I believe that is why she is staying on campus to be near me to see if she can change my mind. She continually asks me to have dinner in her cabin or go off campus to Missoula. But between guarding the Princess, training Rose and picking up other shifts, I have been busy but I never thought in a million years she would try and harm Rose."

"And what about Rose?" Alberta asked "Are you in love with her?"

"Yes"

"And does Rose feel the same way?"

"Yes, I believe so, we haven't talked about it too much yet."

"I see, and has anything happened between you two?"

"A few kisses and then the night that the Princess was kidnapped, it was a lust charm Victor Dashkov not an attack charm that was placed on the necklace. After that I tried to suppress my feeling for her but then Spokane happened."

"I see, well it is rare for a mentor and a student to fall in love but since she is above the age of sixteen, it is not illegal. However, telling her parents might be a fate worse than death, but I have no problem with it as long as you keep it quiet especially during class hours."

"Thanks Alberta"

"But if you break her heart, I will kill you too."

I let out a little laugh "That seems responsible."

"Alright, get back to her, see if you can find out what happened, unless Rose can tell us what happened then there is not much we can do. As it just looks like Lady Ozera was talking with her and Jesse Zeklos was out after curfew. I know you want to go after both, but I really just need you to go back and be there for Rose. And I am going to look at the surveillance footage farther back to see if Tasha has done this before. Why don't you cancel the early am workout and I'll stop by in the morning to see how she is and whether she is up for classes."

"That sounds good Alberta, I am also wondering, if Rose agrees, having Adrian and the Princess over to see if they have found any information about Spirit healing compulsion."

"If Rose is willing to discuss this with Adrian and the Princess, then I think that will be a great idea. Maybe we can have them see Rose after classes because we will need to talk with Christian about his aunt's behavior." Alberta pondered.

"Okay, l will see what Rose thinks and I will see you in the morning. Thanks Alberta." I said as I stood to get up and leave Alberta's office when my phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my dusters anticipating it was Rose, but one look at the caller id and my fists and jaw clenched tight.

"It's Tasha" I said to Alberta.

"Don't give anything away yet. I don't want to let her know we are on to her" Alberta stated.

"Tasha" I answered.

"Dimka" Tasha responded. I needed to take a deep breath to keep my emotions in check "what do you need Tasha" I said trying to keep my voice neutral.

"I was just wandering since Christian says Rose was found that you might be hungry and I wanted to know if you wanted to come to the cabin for a late dinner and we can just relax. I have a nice bottle of wine that I have been saving" Tasha asked.

"Sorry Tasha, I am in a meeting with Guardian Petrov, can I call you back tomorrow?"

Sure, no problem Dimka, call me whenever" Tasha stated.

"Bye Tasha" and I hung up the phone. "She wanted me to come over for a late dinner."

"Well, let's keep her in the dark for now as to what we know and where Rose and you are staying. Maybe we can trap her in her scheme to use compulsion on Rose" Alberta stated. "Go back to Rose and I will see you all in the morning"

"Goodnight Alberta"

"Thanks Dimitri, please take care of her and feel free to call me at any time if she needs me."

RPOV

After Dimitri left the dorm, I went into the room I was sharing with Guardian Mathews to unpack the few things I brought over from my room. I gathered my shower stuff and my pajamas and headed to the bathroom for a shower. Once I was out of the shower, I dried myself off and I left my hair in the towel and put on my pjs. Since I was sharing the dorm with 2 guardians I chose more subdued pjs, a t-shirt and pj bottoms rather than my usual tank top and short jersey shorts. I brushed my hair out and decided to let it air dry for now. When I got out of the bathroom, Guardian Mathews and Guardian Andrews were sitting on opposite couches watching TV. Guardian Mathews asked "Hey Rose, you wanna watch some tv with us."

"Yeah" I replied. This was a treat as we don't have TVs in our rooms and the dhampir lounges only get the hand me downs from the moroi lounges. If you want to watch anything decent you need to go to the moroi lounges. I put my stuff away and sat down next to Guardian Mathews. They were watching American Ninja (surprise, surprise) actually it wasn't too bad, however our trials for dhampirs were more like American Ninja on steroids.

"So Guardian Mathews, what exactly is the plan? I asked.

"First, call me Celeste, you only need to address me as a Guardian Mathews when in class. I think Dimitri is discussing the plan with Alberta right now. But as far as I know for the next few days, your training schedule will remain the same. I will just get to work out with the both of you." Celeste replied.

"It just doesn't make sense" I said.

"What do you mean?"

"Why am I getting protection, I mean in two months, I will be graduating and guarding Lissa" I said.

"I think Dimitri will have more information when he gets back. But something is going on with you. It's not like you to be hiding under your bed. Normally, you have this take no prisoner attitude, plus we have noticed you are very distracted lately" Celeste tenderly stated as Guardian Andrews nodded his head in agreement.

I looked down at my hands in my lap, I felt really embarrassed that I had hid under my bed and even more embarrassed that she knew about it.

Celeste squeezed my arm "We know this is not your normal behavior and I believe that is why Alberta wants Dimitri and I with you to determine what is going on. And I want you to know, you can talk to me anytime about anything, okay".

"Okay, thanks Celeste." We watched TV for about another 15 minutes when Dimitri returned.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Talk

Dimitri came thru the door into our dorm and we all said goodbye to Guardian Andrews. Dimitri went to his room and when he came back his duster was off and he went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water and then sat down on the couch opposite from me. He gave Celeste a look and then Celeste stood up and stated "Well, I am going to take a shower".

"Rose, we need to talk?"

"Ok" I said softly "But Dimitri, I don't understand why I need to be guarded. I'm supposed to graduate and start guarding Lissa in a few months. It doesn't make sense that I need my own guardians, where does that leave Lissa?"

"The Princess has two new guardians at this point, she is safe, so don't worry about her for right now. And you having guardians is not meant to be a punishment or anything against you" Dimitri stated.

He paused and looked down at his hands and then he looked back up at me. He let his guardian mask down and then had this look of love on his face and said "I meant what I said earlier. I am going to protect you and love you with all that I am."

I could feel the stinging in my eyes and was trying my hardest not to cry, but those traitorous tears, started falling down my face. Dimitri stood up and sat down next to me and used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the tears. He lovingly said "Don't cry Roza, it's going to be alright, we are going to figure this out together."

"Comrade, you kept saying that we can't be together, so what has changed?"

Dimitri grabbed my hand in both of his and stated "I'm sorry for confusing you Roza, after this morning's episode, when I couldn't find you it brought back my fears from Spokane. When I walked into that house and saw you lying over Mason, I thought that you were dead and I couldn't imagine a world without you. Last night, I finally allowed myself to be honest and admit my feelings for you. In all honesty, I probably started falling in love with you when I found you in Portland".

More tears fell down my face as I used my other hand to wipe the tears away. Dimitri pulled me into his chest and kissed the top of my head. He stated "Milaya, don't cry, we are going to figure this out".

"Comrade, its okay some of the tears are happy tears" I half cried and half laughed.

He pulled back and took my hand in both of his hands and was rubbing smooth circles with his thumb on my hand. Celeste came out of the bathroom and asked "Dimitri is the plan still to workout at 5pm?"

Dimitri responded "No, we are skipping tomorrow morning's practice. Alberta is going to come by at 7:30pm to check on Rose and then we will go from there".

"Okay, sounds good. I don't know how you two get up at that hour six days a week" Celeste said shaking her head.

"Alright, goodnight".

After Celeste went into our shared bedroom and closed the door, I turned back to Dimitri "Celeste said that she thought Alberta and you were discussing what my schedule is going to be and what the plan is."

"Yes, we wanted a plan in place to help you if needed. With all the changes occurring in your life right now, we wanted you to have the ability to not attend some classes if you are getting overwhelmed. But we don't want you to fall behind."

"Why is Alberta coming tomorrow to see how I am? And why are we canceling our practice tomorrow morning it helps me focus, well at least it used to".

Dimitri took a deep breath and said "I have a lot of things to tell you, some of which I only found out 48 hours ago and I told Alberta I wasn't comfortable keeping this information from you."

"What? What information?" I interrupted.

Dimitri tucked some hair behind my ear and said "We are going to go through everything that I know. Hopefully together you and I can figure out why you have been so distracted and why you were hiding under your bed with a black eye and a split lip". He carefully traced my lip with the pad of thumb where my split lip used to be.

I looked down to my hand that Dimitri was holding, embarrassed about my behavior and that other people knew. Dimitri put a finger under my chin and raised it up. "Roza, look at me. I know that this is not your normal behavior and it's not your fault, so don't be embarrassed."

I gave him a quick half smile, how does he always know what I am thinking. Dimitri kissed my forehead and then got up and went to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and gave it to me. Then he walked into the bathroom and came back out with a box of tissues and set them on the table in front of me. He sat down and grabbed my hands again.

"Roza, we need to talk about last night and today. I know I told you that I would wait until you were ready, but we have some new information that indicates you are being targeted. Please trust me and let me help you to keep you safe." I nodded yes as more tears fell down my face as I hurriedly wiped them away.

"Good' he wiped away my tears that kept falling and said "what do you remember about what happened last night after the Princess and I left?"

"Lissa and you left around 9am and I did anything to procrastinate from doing Stan's assignment" that received a little smirk from Dimitri. "I packed my gym bag, straightened up my room and took a shower before I sat down to work on my assignment and I worked on it for about an hour and half."

"How did that go?" Dimitri asked.

"Not too bad, I got thru the majority of it."

"Good and how did you feel afterwards? Did you feel distracted?" Dimitri questioned.

I thought back to it "No, but Lissa and I had gotten thru a lot of the Moroi Studies homework, so I kind of felt like I was on a roll to get it done. Plus a scary Russian was going to read it the morning, so that was also an incentive to get a good amount done" I said as I smirked at him.

"Roza, I am so happy you can still keep your feisty side at this point, it is one of the many things I love about you" Dimitri laughed as he kissed my forehead.

"Wait, Dimitri, how is this going to work between us? Do we have to hide our relationship?"

"We will talk about it in the next few days about what we want, I just don't want to overwhelm you with everything else that is going on. But Alberta is aware and she is okay with it, but we will need to be discreet. But first we need to get thru what happened last night and today, okay?"

"Okay" I responded "I can't believe Alberta knows and is okay with it"

"Well she did threaten my life if I broke your heart, and she wished me luck with telling your parents."

I started giggling with that and Dimitri said "Thanks, I'm glad you like my pain", which only made me laugh more. "Roza, I love the sound of your laugh" he said as he gave me a big hug and kissed the top of my head.

"Okay, now what do you remember after you stopped working on Guardian Alto's assignment? Do you remember what time it was when you finished?" Dimitri asked as he was drawing soothing circles on my hand with his thumb.

"It was 11am" why did that time stick in my head but not the action immediately following after I opened the door, I thought to myself. There must have been a look on my face as Dimitri asked "What is it?"

"I just was wondering why I could remember the time but not who knocked on my door." I continued "If I am going to tell you what I remember, will you promise not to get mad at me or go crazy on someone else?"

"Roza, I promise you I will not get mad at you for anything you tell me. None of this is your fault, someone attacked you and we need to figure out who it is. And I can only promise you that I won't go crazy on the individual or individuals responsible for this until we have more information."

I took a deep breath and said "I remember finishing at 11am when there was a knock on the door. The next thing I knew was that it was 12pm and I could not remember what had happened in that hour".

I looked down at my hands and I realized I was holding both of Dimitri's hands or he was technically holding mine because his was so much larger. Dimitri sensed my hesitation and let go of one of my hands and put his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. He said "It's okay, just take your time".

I felt the tears welling up in my eyes and I looked towards the ceiling trying to prevent them from falling. However, they started falling anyway. After a few minutes, I started again "It was like waking up from a dream. I felt someone on top of me kissing me and when I opened my eyes Jesse was on top of me". As I started crying, Dimitri just pulled me closer to him. I was surprised at him being so calm especially after the last encounter with Jesse.

I took a minute or two to calm myself down and looked at my hands and told Dimitri "As soon as I realized what was happening, I tried to push him off of me and I told him to get off. And he just had this look in his eye and he punched me in the face. I finally was able to push him off me and off the bed. He jumped up from the floor and I jumped off the bed and Jesse said something about wanting to party. Then he got that look in his eyes again and he punched me in the face. Finally, I was able to push him out of my room. I don't understand, he's a moroi, he shouldn't be able to get the upper hand on me like that".

I was full on crying at this point. I have no idea how Celeste couldn't have heard me, she must have thought we would get her if we needed her. I also couldn't believe how calm Dimitri was being.

Dimitri lifted me onto his lap and had one arm around my shoulder and the other arm was rubbing my back as he enveloped me in a big bear hug. His face was in my hair and he was whispering "Shh, Roza, you're okay; you're safe, I am right here". We stayed like that for about five minutes, when he finally spoke again "Are you doing okay?" I nodded into chest.

"What made you go under your bed?"

"I don't know, it just felt like it was the best idea."

"When did you go under the bed?" he asked trepidaciously.

"Right after I threw Jesse out. I pulled out your sweatshirt from the night of the lust charm and put it on and grabbed my stuffed dog and went under the bed."

"Were you there when I went into your room this morning?"

I quietly responded "Yes".

Dimitri pulled me into his chest more and asked "Why didn't you let me know you were there?"

"I wanted to but it was like my head was thinking one thing but my body would not do what I wanted to it do."

Dimitri lifted me back up and placed me next to him so he could look directly into my eyes, but still kept me close to him with his arm around my shoulder. As Dimitri held me tight to his side, he said "Thank you Roza for having the courage to tell me this. For reasons that we will discuss in a little bit, but first I need you to know that Alberta had a hidden camera placed outside your door."

I pulled away from Dimitri so I could look him in the eye "What the hell?"

"It was for your safety, not because she was worried about you misbehaving. She looked at the footage and that was the reason she called me to come to her office."

"What did it show? I mean obviously Jesse was on there but I can't believe that I would just let him in."

"Yes, it shows Jesse at your door at 11am" Dimitri paused and I looked up at him, he finished "and Tasha was with him." My eyes were bugging out of my head.

"There was no audio so we don't know what Tasha or Jesse said, but Alberta and I both believe that Tasha was using compulsion on you. Alberta is going to look back at previous nights to see if she has done it before. It might explain why you have been so distracted."

"Oh my God, why would she do that?" I paused "oh, because she is in love with you."

"That's what we believe. I'm so sorry that you had to go thru this with Tasha. I thought I made it clear when we spoke at the ski lodge she understood that I didn't have any romantic feelings toward her because my heart belongs to someone else."

I smirked and said "Who does your heart belong to?"

"A beautiful, strong, smart, feisty woman named Roza". Dimitri placed the lightest and softest kiss on my lips. His hands were in my hair and my hands were on his chest. Dimitri deepened the kiss by swiping his tongue against my bottom lip and I eagerly allowed him in. We finally broke apart due the need to breath, but our foreheads continued to touch.

"What are they going to do about Tasha and Jesse" I asked.

Dimitri pulled back to look me in the eyes and said "As far as Jesse is concerned, he was seen on camera outside your door after curfew and since you remembering him forcing himself on you and hitting you, he will be disciplined by Headmistress Kirova and Guardian Petrov. But they may delay punishing him in order to find out why he was with Tasha. Right now Alberta doesn't want either of them to know what we know or that you moved into a different room. If you are comfortable, I was thinking of asking Adrian and Lisa over tomorrow to see if they have any information about spirit reversing compulsion."

"I think right now I would prefer just Adrian, I don't want to put Lissa in a position where she may have to keep something from Christian."

"Okay, that seems like a good idea, we could have him come by tomorrow while Lissa and Christian are still in class."

"But this can't be the only reason I need Guardians?"

"No" Dimitri paused "but you have been thru a lot in the last 24 hours, do you want to continue or take a break and we can talk in the morning?"

I looked at the clock and it was almost 12pm. "No, I want to keep going, might as well get it all out there."

"The reason your mother is coming is because she is bringing your father with her."

For the first time tonight, I started to feel angry. "When did you find this out?"

"Alberta told me two days ago and I told her I was not comfortable keeping this from you. I don't know all the details, but apparently he has been keeping eyes on you since you started at St. Vlad's". Dimitri continued "He is involved in some questionable dealings and apparently you were sent here to keep you hidden due to threats against your life."

"Do you know who he is?"

"I've heard of him, he does a lot of business in Russia where he is known as Zmey, which means snake. Basically he is kind of like a mafia boss. His real name is Ibrahim Mazur, but I think he goes by Abe."

I just stared at Dimitri while trying to process all the information. I didn't know what to feel, angry that he hid me away, sad because all thru my childhood I thought he was just like most Moroi fathers and that he didn't care about me. And a little bit excited and happy because I was going to meet him. Dimitri started rubbing my back and gave me time for the information to sink in. "Why is he coming now? I asked.

"Apparently there is a credible threat against your life do to his business dealings. He is coming with your mother to explain everything and he has his own army of private guardians. But like I said, I only have limited information." I nodded at Dimitri at this point I was numb.

"Originally, the plan was for your mother and father to explain everything about him and then to discuss what was the best way to keep you safe. The concern is that the threats are coming from Moroi and or humans, which unlike Strigoi it's harder to keep them off the academy grounds. But now with threats from both inside and outside and with you being so close to graduation and potentially guarding the Princess we need to figure out a plan to keep you safe but allow you to graduate."

Dimitri paused to give me some time to process what he said "Alberta was already planning to move you out of your dorm, it was going to be either guest quarters or here. I thought you might like here so it minimizes the disruption in your life. Plus, I thought you might feel ostracized in guest quarters. And she also assigned Celeste and myself to guard you until your father's guardians arrived. "

"Thank you for not putting me in guest quarters, that would have been the worst, but why can't you stay on my guardian?"

"Hopefully I can, but we will discuss that when your parents get here."

"Am I going to get a say in what happens to me?"

"Yes, Alberta fought for you to be involved in the discussions along with your parents, the head guardian from your father's guardians, Alberta and me" Dimitri paused. "How are you feeling with all this information?"

"A little bit of everything, tired, confused, mad and maybe a little excited that I am going to meet my father."

The events of the day were starting to take a toll on me, I asked Dimitri "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course Roza".

"I know we still need to figure out our relationship, but do you …..do you think you could hold me for a few minutes?"

"Absolutely, nothing would me happier."

Dimitri took my face in both his hands and again placed the sweetest kiss on my lips. He pulled back and he turned me around so he could pull my back to his chest and his arms wrapped around me. He started whispering to me in Russian and I thought to myself I would need to ask him tomorrow what he was saying. But between his scent, the warmth coming from him, the whispering in Russian and all the drama of the last 24 hours, I fell asleep in no time.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Nightmares

DPOV

Roza quickly fell asleep in my arms and I wanted nothing more than to pick her up, put her in my bed and just hold her for the night. The thought of waking up next to her sounded like heaven, but all in good time. I have to remind myself that Rose is inexperienced and not used to a romantic relationship, and I never would want to pressure her so we will go at her speed.

I did allow myself pleasure of holding her for a while and running my fingers through her hair as I whispered words of love to her in Russian. After about 20 minutes, I picked her up and carried her into her room. Celeste got up the minute I opened the door and pulled down the sheets so I could lay Roza down. As I pulled up the covers, I kissed her forehead, than Celeste followed me out of the room.

"How is she?" Celeste asked.

"She's okay; actually she's doing well considering how much has happened over the last couple of days."

Celeste paused for a minute, and then asked "You're in love with her, aren't you?"

I thought about her question for a minute and then I said "Yes" I confessed "how did you know?"

"Just from being around you, you always light up a little when you are near her."

"Is it that obvious" I asked.

"No, it's just that we have been working so closely together. I can see the subtle changes in both of you. Rose has calmed down a little bit with you around, she doesn't fly off the handle like she used to. And you have opened up more, since you brought the Princess and Rose back to the Academy. But I am happy for the two of you, it's a rare thing to find."

"Thanks Celeste."

Celeste went back into the bedroom and I went to my bedroom to get my shower stuff. I turned the shower on to the hottest setting and just stood under it for a few minutes and felt my muscles starting to relax after all the events over the past few days. I saw Roza's shampoo in the shower and I couldn't help myself from opening the bottle and inhaling the scent that I knew so well from being around her. My mind wandered to place where Roza and I could be together without having to hide our relationship. I finished my shower, toweling off and putting on a t-shirt and pj bottoms. When I looked in the mirror, I realized that I needed to shave but exhaustion was starting to take over. I went back to my room, crawled into bed and I think I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I woke up at some point in the middle of the night to the sound of Roza screaming. I grabbed my stake and I ran across the dorm in like four steps. I opened the door and Celeste appeared to be trying to wake up Roza from a nightmare. I went to the head of Roza's bed and started stroking her hair. "Rose…Rose…Roza, milaya wake up for me."

Roza's movements started to slow down and she stopped screaming, I pleaded "Roza, wake up milaya, you're okay, you're safe".

Roza stopped moving and opened her eyes and asked "Comrade?"

"I'm right here Roza." I thought she was calming down, but she started crying. I sat on the bed and pulled her onto my lap and started rubbing her back. Her breathing started picking up. "Roza, you're safe, you need to slow down your breathing."

"I . . . I can't . . . . .. breathe". Roza gasped while crying and trying to catch her breath.

"You are having a panic attack, you're safe, I am right here with you, try to slow your breathing down."

After a few minutes her breathing began to slow down, as well as her crying. I continued rubbing her back as she grabbed my shirt with both her hands. I tried to move her off my lap and back to the bed so she could rest, but she clutched even harder to my t-shirt and said "don't leave me, please don't leave me".

Celeste said "Dimitri, just take her to room, she obviously needs you right now."

"Are you sure?" I questioned.

"Yes, your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks Celeste". I picked up Roza and carried her bridal style. I set her in the middle of the bed and as I started to back to back away she grabbed my t-shirt tighter and her crying picked up.

"Shhh, Roza, its okay I'm not leaving you, I 'm getting into bed with you." She released my t-shirt and I got into the bed and pulled her to me face to face.

RPOV

(Previously on the couch)

After talking with Dimitri, I felt overwhelmingly tired but was excited when he agreed to hold me. I felt so safe in Dimitri's arms and I loved the smell and feel of him. He was holding me and kissing my hair and talking to me softly in Russian. I had no idea what he was saying but I am sure they were loving words. My eyelids became very heavy and I could no longer keep them open.

A little while later I felt myself being lifted and carried into the bedroom and placed gently on the bed. I snuggled down into the bed and I felt Dimitri kiss me on my forehead.

The next thing I knew I was in my old dorm room and Jesse and Ralf were there in my room and trying to push me towards the bed saying they wanted to party. Then both Jesse and Ralf turned into strigois and I started screaming for help. I felt hands on me and I was trying to fight them off. I heard them calling my name "Rose…..Rose" they said. "

"Wake up" wait I thought "Rose…Roza"

"Roza" I froze, only Dimitri called me that.

"Wake up milaya"

"Comrade?"

"I'm right here".

I opened my eyes to see those chocolate brown eyes that I love. I sat up and clutched onto him. I started crying hard and Dimitri pulled me into his lap and was rubbing my back. He was talking but I couldn't concentrate on what he was saying. Suddenly, I felt like I couldn't catch my breath.

"i….I can't….can't breathe".

I finally got out and Dimitri said "You are having a panic attack. You're safe. I am right here with you, try to slow your breathing down."

After a while I started to relax a little but I couldn't let go of Dimitri and I was still breathing little faster than usual. I felt Dimitri try to move me back onto the bed but I just held on to his t-shirt more and I said "don't leave me, please don't leave me."

I heard Celeste say "Dimitri just take her to your room, she obviously needs you right now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, your secret is safe with me."

I felt Dimitri pick me up as I buried my head into his chest and he carried me into his room. I felt him put me down on the bed and he started to pull away but I clutched his t-shirt harder.

"Shh, Roza, it's okay, I'm getting into bed with you."

I released my hold on him and he stepped back to open covers and let me crawl under as he got in as well. He pulled me to him so that we were both on our sides facing each other. He wiped away my tears and asked "Do you remember what were you dreaming about?"

I started crying a little harder, the events of the past few days were overwhelming me. Dimitri pulled me into his chest and he started rubbing my back and kissing my hair.

"I was dreaming about Jesse ad Ralf being in my room and pushing me onto the bed and then they became strigois and that is when I started screaming."

I felt Dimitri freeze for a second and I could feel his jaw tighten, but then he hugged me tighter and said "Roza, I'm so sorry so much has happened to you. I'm not surprised you are having nightmares. I wish I could take them away from you."

I pulled back a little to look at his face. He wiped my tears away with the pad of his thumb and he slowly and gently put his lips to mine. They were so warm and soft and then his lips started becoming firmer and my heart started beating faster. I was starting to relax more into his embrace and kissing him back with the same desperation that I felt for him. But then his lips left mine and he kissed my forehead. I sighed a little in disappointment at the loss of his lips. And as always he knew what I was feeling as he said "I know Roza, I would love to do nothing more than kiss you for hours but you have been through so much, and I don't want to pressure you right now".

"I don't mind" I said.

He kissed my forehead again and said "I know but hopefully I will have years and years to kiss you, if you'll have me."

I looked into his eyes and saw so much love and hope, I said "I hope so too".

He said "Close your eyes and try to get some sleep, you need some rest after the past few days. I will be right here for you. If you start to whimper or anything, I will wake you up."

"Thank you Comrade"

As I started drifting off, I felt him cradling me with his warmth and the smell of him that I loved. And he started whispering to me in Russian again. I fell into a deep sleep with no dreams.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Long Day

RPOV

I woke up when I felt something in the bed moving and it took me a few seconds to realize where I was and everything that had happened. I opened my eyes and saw Dimitri getting out of bed.

"Sorry to wake you Roza, I was just getting up to get ready, Alberta should be here in an hour. I am going to take a quick shower, but you can sleep for another half hour and then I will wake you up."

"Okay" I said as I moved into the area he just vacated as it was still warm and smelled of Dimitri and I quickly fell back to sleep. The next thing I felt was my hair being pushed away from my face. I heard Dimitri say "Hey Sleeping Beauty, it's time to get up, Alberta will be here in about 30 minutes."

I turned over on my stomach, put my face in the pillow and grumbled. I am not a morning person. I felt Dimitri get off the bed and tap me on my butt saying "Out of bed Roza before I drag you out."

I responded with "You know that doesn't sound like the threat that I think you mean it to be."

Dimitri laughed "Up Roza" as he walked out of the bedroom. I got up off the bed and walked out into the unit where Dimitri was cooking breakfast and Celeste was drinking her coffee at the table both in their guardian outfits.

"Smells good Comrade"

"Morning Rose" Celeste said.

"Morning Celeste" I said as I crossed into the other bedroom to get dressed. I wasn't sure what the plan was for today so I decided to put on workout clothes and I put my hair up into a high ponytail. I came back out to the table where Dimitri had made breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, toast, fruit salad and juice. "Oh my God Comrade, this is so good."

"Wait till I make you some Russian food." Dimitri said.

"You would cook me Russian food?" I asked.

"Of course Roza" Dimitri replied.

"I love you Comrade!" I said before my brain could think. I covered my mouth in shock that I had said it out loud in front of Celeste. But Dimitri calmed me down, he said "Don't worry Roza, Celeste knows what we feel for each other."

I looked over to Celeste and she nodded. We ate breakfast together talking about gossip around campus and avoiding what was going on with my life. Which right now was a nice break for me to not have to concentrate on the fact that my father was coming because of his enemies and the fact that Tasha, Jesse and maybe Ralf had it in for me as well.

Alberta showed up as we were finishing breakfast. As she came through the door into the kitchen area she asked "Hey Rose, how are you doing?"

"I'm okay" I answered.

"Dimitri, Celeste, how are you doing?" Alberta asked.

"I'm good, thanks for asking" Celeste said.

"Alberta, would you like some breakfast or coffee" Dimitri asked.

"I would love some coffee" Alberta stated.

Dimitri gave Alberta a cup of coffee as well as getting another cup for himself. I walked over to the couches and sat down on one. Alberta and Celeste sat down across from me and Dimitri sat down next to me and handed me a hot chocolate.

"Thanks, Comrade"

Alberta looked at us all and asked "Okay, so where are we?"

After a pause, Dimitri spoke up "well, after I left your office last night, I sat down with Rose and we talked about what happened. Rose is aware of the surveillance outside her room and that last night Tasha and Jesse showed up. I discussed with Rose what I knew about her parents coming tomorrow and the potential threats against her. And I updated Celeste this morning."

Alberta thought for a minute and then asked Rose "How are you dealing with all that you have been through? Also do you have any questions for me?"

I thought for a little bit and said "I am a little shocked about finding that Tasha and Jesse were working together to do something to me. I am not sure how I feel about going to classes today and seeing Jesse and potentially seeing Tasha."

Alberta responded "I think it would be a good idea maybe to stay here for the day, maybe if you want to work out separately with Dimitri and Celeste, we can work out a time so you can have the gym to yourselves."

"I think that would be good at least to work out today" I said as I looked at Dimitri. He nodded and looked at Alberta and asked "I think that 10pm the gym is free, we could use it for an hour."

"That works, the gym will be empty. Rose I will let your other teachers know of your absences today. Tomorrow your parents are arriving in the morning and will be staying at the guest accommodations. Once they are settled, we will call you to come over to see them. Does that sound okay to you?" Alberta asked.

I thought about it and said "I think that is fine, do you know him?"

Alberta said "No, I have only spoke to him a few times."

Dimitri spoke up "I was thinking is there a guest room near them that we can use so that if Rose needs a break during their meeting she can go there?"

"Yes, we can set up a room near them for Rose, does that sound good to you Rose?"

"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea, I just don't know what to expect from my father."

"Well, what I know from your mother, your father wants nothing more than to be in your life and he has been vigilant in protecting your wellbeing, but he will be better to explain that than I can. But I know we are going to have to discuss how to continue your schooling and how to protect you, but that you will have a voice in the decision. Plus Dimitri and I will be there for you as well."

"Okay, thanks Alberta."

"Now Dimitri had discussed about the Princess and Lord Ivashkov coming over to see what they know about spirit helping break any compulsion"

"Yes, I think it is best to start with Adrian, I don't want to put Lissa in a weird position because of her relationship with Christian. Maybe he can come over after our work out and lunch?"

"Okay, that sounds good, I will inform him were you are and to come around 1am?"

"Thanks, Alberta."

Alberta stood up and came over to me and gave me a hug and said "Try not to worry we are here for you and we are going to protect you and the Princess is well protected. We are still going to let you go shopping with the Princess, we will have enough guardians with your father being here. I think shopping would be a nice break for you. But it will be up to you if you want to go and what you want to tell the Princess what is going on."

"Thank you Alberta." I said as I hugged her back "for everything."

"And I know Dimitri will treat you well, but don't worry I have already threatened him if he breaks your heart." Alberta said as she pulled back from the hug. I laughed and looked at Dimitri who has a slight blush on his face.

Alberta started for the door and said "Call me if you need anything. And let me know if you find out anything with Lord Ivashkov."

"Okay, thanks Alberta." I said as she walked out the door.

Dimitri stood up from the couch and said "It's almost 9 am, how about we run the track for an hour before we do some conditioning and sparring. Celeste you can either run with Rose or guard while I run with Rose, but I would like you and Rose to spar."

"Either way is fine by me, I can guard if you want to run with Rose."

"Thanks Celeste, I think I'd like to run with Rose so if you can guard that would be great. Alright, let's get changed "Dimitri said.

I was already in workout clothes so I waited as Dimitri and Celeste got changed. Pretty soon both Celeste and Dimitri were ready and before we walked out of the door he stopped me to say "Rose, if we run into any of your friends or classmates and they ask why you are not in class, just tell then that Alberta set up an assessment by me and Celeste since you were gone. And if we run into Tasha, just let me handle her. Okay?" Dimitri asked.

"Okay"

The three of us walked across the campus to the track, thankfully most of the students were in class, there were a few students who stared at me walking with Celeste and Dimitri, but no one approached me. We got to the track and Celeste stood back in a guarding stance and Dimitri and I started to stretch.

"How are you feeling this morning, did you have any dreams or nightmares, I didn't get a chance to ask"

"I'm okay, I didn't dream at all that I remembered, so that was good. It is a little overwhelming with the Tasha and Jesse issue and the fact that I am meeting my father and hearing about people who want to kill me because of my father." I said.

Dimitri stopped stretching and looked around and pulled me up and put his hands on my shoulders. "Roza, I will do whatever needs to be done to protect you even if I die in the process."

Tears started forming in my eyes "But I don't want you to die for me."

Dimitri looked around again and then wiped the tears from my face and said "I hope it won't come to that. Why don't we run and concentrate on training and we can take your mind off everything."

"Okay". We started running side by side in comfortable silence. At about 20 minutes into our run I heard Dimitri say "b'lyad" which I am pretty sure is a swear word in Russian that he refuses to teach me. I look around and the first thing I see is Celeste coming closer to Dimitri and me, then Dimitri puts his arm in front of me to stop me from running and then I see Tasha.

Dimitri says "Rose stay here". Dimitri starts walking towards Tasha as Celeste comes to my side but I am still close enough to hear his conversation. Celeste stands in front of me because we both know I am within reach of a fireball as I have been on a few of Christian's "near misses" as he calls them, however I am sure Tasha will not miss if she tried to throw one.

"Hi Dimka, I was just coming to run some laps. I am so excited you're here maybe you can teach me some fighting moves." Tasha said.

"I am sorry Tasha the track and the gym are off limits until 11pm as Guardian Mathews and I are testing Novice Hathaway." Dimitri responded with his most guardian authoritative way.

Tasha responded by rubbing his arm up and down and saying "Oh, okay, but what about after 11pm do you think we could workout then?"

"I am sorry, Tasha, Guardian Petrov has me rostered to guard after I finish with Novice Hathaway. So if you will excuse me and please leave the track area I would appreciate that."

"No problem, Dimka, I will call you later, maybe we can do that dinner tonight." Tasha replied sweetly.

"Good bye Tasha." Dimitri said as he turned back around and came back to Celeste and me. "Thanks Celeste."

"No problem Dimitri, she doesn't give up does she?"

"No, she doesn't but Alberta doesn't want me to push her away too much or push the issue that I am not interested in her, so that we can figure out what her plan with Rose was. Rose are you okay to keep running." Dimitri asked.

"Yeah, I'm good." I said. Dimitri and I started running and Celeste went back to her guarding position. Dimitri and I ran in silence again but he kept sneaking glances at me while we ran. After 45 minutes of running, Celeste and Dimitri switched, so Celeste could run and warm up for our conditioning and sparring. It was different running with Celeste, she had me laughing hysterically as we ran. Since she was Dimitri guarding partner she has seen Tasha's antics towards Dimitri. So Celeste was giving me her impression of Tasha talking to Dimitri. Celeste was so funny I thought I was going to trip while we were running. At 10pm after we finished our hour of running and then we went into the gym.

Dimitri asked "What were you two laughing about?" Before I could say anything, Celeste said "Just girl stuff." Dimitri lifted one eyebrow at me and I just shrugged his shoulders at him. He walked in behind me shaking his head at us.

Celeste, Dimitri, and I did a workout that Dimitri had planned out for me. Then I spent 15 minutes sparring with Dimitri and I did better than our last sparring session when I was so distracted, I was able to get some good hits in. Even though Dimitri took me down 4 times, I made him work for it. I then sparred with Celeste which was so much different. I wasn't used to her height and she much quicker than Dimitri. It was good to fight with her because I wasn't used to her style and I couldn't anticipate her moves like I could with Dimitri. I was able to take her down twice and then she took me down twice. Dimitri watched us closely and would point out if I missed a potential hit or he would praise me if I got a good hit in or when I pinned her down.

The three of us walked back to the unit and the amount of students around were still low, so we did not run into anyone on our way back to the dorm. Once there Dimitri took a shower first, then Celeste and then me. By the time I finished my shower and get dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and I left my hair down to air dry, Dimitri had made lunch for us consisting of sandwiches and salads. Dimitri and his healthy eating. "Comrade, no potato chips?"

"No, sorry Rose." He smirked at me. But then he turned serious and said "I spoke to Alberta and I let her know about the Tasha incident, so she wants us to stay in today and then when we discuss things tomorrow with your father's guardians, we will discuss about how to handle the Tasha situation. Lord Ivashkov should be coming over shortly and Alberta also told the Princess that you are being tested on your skills for the day to explain your absence."

"Oh, okay, she has asked me through the bond a few times where I was." I responded.

Dimitri just nodded his head at me but Celeste asked me how the bond works, so while we were eating I explained how the bond worked. I could tell that Dimitri didn't realize how much the bond affected me and especially when my barriers were down when I was sleeping and I can get pulled into her head. I have seen way more of Christian than I ever wanted to and Celeste and Dimitri laughed at that aspect.

Someone knocked at the door and Dimitri went to open the door but first asked who it was and the person responded "It's Adrian, I was told Rose was in here". Dimitri opened the door and Adrian walked thru and said "Belikov, Hello Gaurdian Mathews Little Dhampir, what's going on? What's with the cloak and dagger."

Dimitri spoke first "Lord Ivashkov have a seat." Adrian sat down, I got up and sat on the opposite couch and Dimitri sat down next to me as Celeste cleaned up from lunch. Dimitri started for me "We asked you here because we believe that Tasha Ozera has used compulsion on Rose and we are wondering if you know anything about Spirit undoing the compulsion?"

Adrian just stared at the two of us for a moment and then said "Well from what I have read, Spirit users' ability to use compulsion is stronger than Moroi, though I have not tested that theory myself. So what happened."

I look at Dimitri and he gave me a look that said it was up to me to tell Adrian what happened. So I started "So, the day that you found me under the bed, the night before apparently Tasha and Jesse showed up to my room. There was a surveillance camera outside of my room and it appeared like Tasha was compelling me and then they both came into my room and I just remember sort of waking up and hour later and Jesse was on top of me kissing. I pushed him off and that's when he punched me and then I pushed him out of the room and then that is when I went under the bed".

Adrian jumped up "What the fuck Belikov, why have you not pounded Jesse into the ground, I saw him walking around today acting cocky. Why are you so calm?"

"Adrian" I said "Please calm down, we are hoping you can help with breaking the compulsion, so I can remember more and then we can go after him, but right now Alberta said he can only get in trouble for being out after curfew and then for hitting me, but we want to find out more before we let him know what we know."

Adrian said "still why are you so calm about this Belikov?"

Dimitri answered "Believe me I want nothing more than to teach him a lesson, but we need to see if Rose can remember more plus she needs protecting."

"Apparently, you can't keep her protected from a moroi student, maybe Rose needs to come to court with me. I can protect her there" Adrian spit out at Dimitri.

I felt Dimitri bristle next to me. "Adrian this isn't helping and there is more to the story. Do you think you can reverse the compulsion?"

Adrian thought about it for a minute, then said "Okay Rose, let's try this." I got up and walked over to the couch and sat down next to Adrian. He took both may hands and looked into my eyes and said in that compulsion way and said "Rose you are going to remember everything that Tasha and Jesse said to you and did to you and you will not be able to be compelled by Tasha and Jesse again."

After Adrian said that my brain played back at fast speed the last week and all that Tasha had said to me and I hated to cry in front of Adrian, Celeste and Dimitri, but remembering the words that Tasha had said, tears started rolling down my face. I looked around between Adrian and Dimitri and my breathing started to pick up and I didn't know what to do. Dimitri came to me and pulled me up and said "excuse us for a minute Lord Ivashkov" and Dimitri guided me to his room and closed the door. There was a comfortable chair in the corner where Dimitri sat and he pulled me into his lap and held me and rubbed my back and kissed my hair and again spoke softly to me in Russian.

Once my breathing and crying subsided, Dimitri asked "What did she say Roza"

"She said that you didn't like me and could not stand being my mentor and that you said I was a blood whore the two years I was gone."

Dimitri turned my head to face him and looked me in the eye and said "Roza you know none of that is true, I am so in love with you, it hurts me some times. I love being your mentor and I want you in every way a man wants a woman and I don't think you were a blood whore. Okay?"

"Okay"

"What else happened with Jesse?"

"Well, she came to the door and she would say all those things about you not liking me and then she started telling me how much I liked Jesse and how much I wanted to kiss him. I kept telling her no I didn't believe her, but I guess at some point I must have believed her to let Jesse kiss me. I am sorry that I kissed Jesse I didn't want to."

"I know Roza, I think that is why you have been so distracted lately, you have been trying to fight off her compulsion. And I know you didn't kiss Jesse. I am so sorry Tasha did this to you. It's my fault that she did this to you, I thought I made my feelings clear to her but apparently I did not explain them clear enough."

Dimitri continued "Do you think you can go back out to Adrian?"

"Yeah, we should go back out."

I got up off of Dimitri's lap and stood up and he stood up and grab my hand and pulled me into a big bear hug as he kissed the top of my head. And then his hands cupped my face and he gave me the sweetest and softest kiss on my lips. Then he guided me back towards the door. When we came back into the room, Adrian and Celeste were on the couch talking about spirit.

Adrian asked "Rose, are you doing okay?"

"Yes, Adrian thank you." Dimitri and I sat down on the same couch. I figured I would let Adrian in on what was going on, he already suspected Dimitri and I were interested in each other. "I remember Tasha telling me that Dimitri didn't like me and thought I was a blood whore and how I wanted to be with Jesse. But you can't tell Lissa or Christian yet, until we figure out what we are doing about them."

Adrian said "Fine, but are you going to be okay?" as he looked between me and Dimitri.

I took a deep breath and said "I think so, but um, my father is coming here tomorrow."

"Oh my God." Adrian responded.

"Yeah and apparently he is coming because my life is being threatened by his business enemies."

"What! Who is he?"

"Abe Mazur"

"Fuck"

To be cont'd…..


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Long Day Part Two

"Your father is Abe Mazur! Zmey!" Adrian asked "Well, I guess that explains a few things".

Even Dimitri chuckled at that. "Hey" I said in response to Dimitri's laugh.

"You've heard of him?" I asked Adrian.

"Yes, most people in Europe and Russia have. He's got his hands in a lot of deals, both legal and illegal. And he deals with everyone, human, Moroi and Dhampir. Wow, Jesse and Tasha won't know what hit them. So he is coming in tomorrow?"

"Yep, with my mom too, so that will be interesting, but she has been making an effort since Spokane".

"Adrian and I were talking while you two were in Dimitri's room and we thought it would be a good idea if Adrian did the anti-compulsion on Dimitri and I" Celeste said.

"That's probably a good idea" Dimitri stated.

After Adrian had compelled Dimitri and Celeste to not be able to be compelled, he stood up and got ready to leave. I stood up and gave Adrian a hug and said "Thanks for everything Adrian".

"You're welcome Little Dhampir and don't worry, I won't say anything to anyone especially Lissa and Christian".

"Thanks"

"Are you still planning on going shopping on Sunday?" Adrian asked.

"I don't know, Alberta says with my father's guardians there will be enough protection, but we will see how I feel after tomorrow" I replied.

Adrian gave me another hug and said "I'll talk to you later".

After Adrian left Dimitri sat down on the couch and padded the spot beside him. I sat down and he put his arm around me and pulled me into his side. I was in heaven. Since Celeste knew what was going on between Dimitri and I, I could see him opening up more and more. Plus it was all I had ever dreamed of, was to be able to sit and cuddle with Dimitri and hang out with friends. It was just Celeste, but it was a huge step in our relationship.

The last thing that I remember was Dimitri running his hand through my hair and he was talking with Celeste. His baritone voice lulled me to sleep. I woke up on the couch with my head on a pillow and a blanket on top of me. Celeste was on the other couch reading a book and when I sat up and looked around, I couldn't see Dimitri, but his door was slightly closed. I got up off the couch and stretched and Celeste asked "Good nap?".

"Yes" I replied.

I knocked on Dimitri's door and said "Hey Comrade, what are you doing?".

"Hi Roza, come on in" Dimitri stated. He was sitting on his bed with his back against the headboard writing in a notebook. I walked in and closed the door behind me as I lay down on the other side of the bed on my stomach next to him.

"Whatcha doing?" I asked Dimitri.

"I am just jotting down notes about your training and some ideas that I have about advancing your training."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Well, I was thinking about adding in training that we would have normally worked on after you graduated such as multiple opponents and more stake training. Plus, we are going to start increasing your endurance as well. I think that when we meet with your father's security, we should also discuss other forms of weapon's training. They may have some other ideas since they protect your father from humans, morois and strigois" Dimitri stated.

"Do you think I'll even get to graduate with everything that is going on?" I asked.

Dimitri closed and put his notebook on the bedside table and he moved down the bed, lying on his side so that his head was even with mine. "Of course you will graduate, between your parents, Alberta and me, we will find a way" Dimitri said as he wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.

I was looking into his eyes and he was staring back at me. He kept looking from my eyes to my lips and back. I had never had someone stare at me with such intensity. I bit my lower lip and I heard a small growl from Dimitri as his hand left my waist and cupped my face and slowly brought my face to his. As his lips met mine, I felt that familiar jolt of electricity and I let out a moan against his lips. Dimitri used that to slip his tongue into my mouth and my hands went to his chest as I grabbed his shirt trying to bring him closer to me. I finally had to break the kiss to breathe and Dimitri started kissing me up my jaw to my ear where he lightly bit my ear lobe and then sucked the area behind my ear.

"Dimitri" I whined.

He rolled me onto my back and he went back to kissing me passionately. Dimitri put his leg in between both of mine and his hand went back down to my waist and started to creep up under my shirt. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it was going to beat out of my chest. My hands went from grabbing his shirt on his chest to reaching behind him to his back trying to pull him as close as possible to me.

"Roza" Dimitri growled as he placed his forehead against mine. "We should stop. I don't want you to ever regret being with me and you're not in the best head space right now."

"Dimitri, I want you." I cried back.

"I know Roza and I want you too. And we will be together, but let's get you through the next few days first. Okay"

"Okay" I responded. But neither of us pulled apart from each other.

Dimitri finally spoke "I think we should go back out in to the living area. I am barely holding on to my self-control."

I giggled as he seemed to have a pained look on his face while he was adjusting himself. "Is there a problem Comrade?" I said as I continued to giggle.

"Yeah, a not so little problem" Dimitri huffed out.

I couldn't control myself anymore and was out right laughing. Dimitri started ticking me as he said "You think this is funny."

"Stop, Comrade, stop….I'm sorry" I said as I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my face and I was gasping for air.

Dimitri said "Come on Roza" as he helped me off the bed and directed me out of his bedroom into the living area. Once we sat down on the couch opposite Celeste, Dimitri asked "So Roza, what do you want for dinner. We can have the kitchen bring us whatever they are making or if there is something you want we can make dinner here".

"Can we get pizza and brownies?" I batted my eyelashes at Dimitri.

Both Dimitri and Celeste started laughing and Dimitri asked "Celeste, do you think Yuri could do a run for us and get some pizza and brownies."

"Sure, let me call him. What kind of pizza would you like Rose? We usually get a Pepperoni Pizza, a Veggie Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza and a Special Pizza, which basically has everything on it. Plus we get a large salad for each person" Celeste explained.

"That sounds really good." I responded.

Celeste went into our room to call Yuri and I gave Dimitri a questioning look and as soon as Celeste closed the door Dimitri said "Yuri and Celeste are in a relationship but they are pretty quiet about it. So since we will be in for the night, I thought this way he can hang out with her".

"Comrade! Breaking the rules of guarding" I jokingly chided him.

Dimitri responded "Oh Roza, there are a lot of rules I break, but I need to teach you the rules before I can teach you to break them." He smirked at me and then gave me a scorching kiss that left me feeling dizzy. If I hadn't already been sitting down I think I would have fallen down.

Once Dimitri pulled back he asked "Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure, what do you want to watch?" I asked Dimitri.

"Let's see what's on demand, maybe a comedy that way we can just relax for the evening."

Dimitri and I found a romantic comedy that was a few years old but neither of us had seen. Dimitri turned around slightly towards the tv and then pulled my back to his chest and then covered both of us with the blanket from the back of the couch. Celeste joined us about half an hour later and she looked giddy after talking with Yuri. She laid down on the couch opposite of us facing the tv.

Once the movie was over, we found an old tv show called "I love the 80s" and binged watched a few episodes. Celeste joined me in teasing Dimitri on the 1980s especially the fashion. Dimitri was a good sport about it as his biggest defense was that he was only into the music from that era. After a while, Dimitri started tickling me again and in my desperation to get away from him, I ended up on the floor with Dimitri on top of me and I was begging Celeste for help.

"No can do Rose, it's a guardian thing versus a novice thing." Celeste laughed at me from her spot on the couch. Next we heard a knock on the door as Dimitri pulled me up off the floor. I gave Dimitri a look worried that my squealing may have alerted someone to our location, not that many people came up here.

"Who is it?" Celeste asked as Dimitri stood protectively in front of me.

"It's Yuri"

Celeste opened the door and Yuri walked in with a mountain of pizza boxes and a few bags. Yuri set the food down and turned to me and said "Hey Rose, you finally got in so much trouble that they put you under house arrest?".

"Yes and it's a terrible punishment, no classes, watching tv and eating pizza" I laughed at Yuri. I am sure Celeste probably told him why I was really here.

Since the kitchen table was small, we grabbed plates and loaded them with food and sat on the floor eating off the coffee table. Dimitri and I sat on one side of the table and Celeste and Yuri sat on the other side of the table. I had known Yuri since the 8th grade when he was first assigned to the academy, so he was well versed with my antics from when I was younger. However, Yuri being on duty as a guardian and Yuri being off duty was like night and day. He was always funny but was still reserved as most guardians were when they were on duty. And as novices we didn't often get to see their other side. Yuri was hilarious as he did impressions of other guardians as well as his renditions of Alto and my interactions in the past. Celeste and I had tears streaming down our faces and Dimitri laughed more times than I had heard him combined since I had known him. I had appreciated that Yuri, while this was a side of him that I did not know, was doing this for my benefit.

Dimitri got up and took his and my plate to fill it up with more food. Yuri said "Rose, I don't know how you were able to thaw out that ogre over there but thank you, he's almost bearable. I am not sure how Celeste here puts up with him all the time".

"I heard that." Dimitri said.

"You were meant to" Yuri sang back.

I laughed at their interaction but blushed a little because I wasn't used to Dimitri being this open plus anyone else knowing about us. "Well it wasn't easy" I replied as Dimitri sat back down next to me handing me my plate and kissing the side of my head.

"That's a lot of vegetables there Comrade" I smirked at Dimitri.

He smirked right back at me "Humor me".

"So, how come you guys are able to be" I paused as I thought how to put this "casual, I guess is the word I am thinking of, in this assignment".

Dimitri responded "It depends on the assignment and your relationship to the charge. With the Princess being the last of her line and here at the academy as guardians we guard her from the side and limit our interactions. But if you were Lissa's guardian, you would guard her inside and hang out with her. It's similar to when I was with Ivan, it was a very casual situation. The only time I appeared as a "guardian" to him was at court or any official functions. But someone like your mother who has an older charge and that she was hired based on her skills would be the type of guardian standing to attention while on duty. I would guess that your father has a similar arrangement with his guardians."

"Gotcha, well at least I'll get Lissa and we will be at Leigh next year. It would be hard for me to be that guardian who was always against a wall watching over my charge" I said.

Yuri said "Rose, I hope you don't mind, but Celeste shared a little bit about what is going on with you. Plus Alberta has let a few of us guardians who are with you during classes or training that we need to watch out for Tasha, Jesse and Ralf and to carefully monitor their activities around campus as well as watch them, if they start to interact with you. I know Dimitri and Celeste are assigned to guard you, but please feel free to come to me or any other guardian if you need help. With the exception of Stan, most of the guardians like you and want you to succeed. Plus we all enjoy your antics with Stan, most of us watch each other to see who will crack through their guardian mask while watching you and Stan go at it. And don't tell Alberta but some of us do bet as to how long it will take you to get thrown out of Stan's class".

Celeste and Yuri were laughing and Dimitri gave a dramatic sigh as he shook his head and exclaimed "Yuri".

"What" Yuri feigned shock.

"Rose, do you want anything more to eat" Dimitri asked me.

"Just brownies" I said with a big smile.

Dimitri laughed "Okay, let's clean up first".

We all stood up and brought our plates into the kitchen area. Dimitri said to Celeste and Yuri "Why don't you two relax and Rose and I will clean up".

"Thanks Dimitri" Celeste responded as Yuri and her went back and sat on one of the couches. Dimitri started washing the dishes as I consolidated the leftovers and put them in the refrigerator. Once Dimitri was done with the dishes, he got two plates and split the brownies between them and he grabbed two glasses and filled with milk. He gave me the two glasses of milk and told me to go into his room as he grabbed the two plates and put one of them down on the table in front of Celeste and Yuri and then he followed me into his bedroom and closed the door. Dimitri sat on one side of the bed with his back against the headboard and patted the spot beside him. He put the brownies on the bed between us and I handed him his glass of milk and put mine down on the bedside table closet to me. Dimitri put his milk on the table closest to him and said "I just wanted to give them some time alone, since it is really hard to find time to spend with someone with our schedules".

"Awe, that's so sweet of you" I replied.

"That's why I love our time training together so much" Dimitri said.

I blushed a little when he said that, then he said "I love it when you blush, it's a rare occurrence" which caused me to blush even more.

Dimitri picked up the plate of brownies and offered it to me, I took a brownie as he took one as well. "How do you think tomorrow is going to go?" I asked.

"I think it will be fine. Everyone is there to help you and it might get overwhelming at times but that is why I wanted a separate room nearby. So just let me know when you need breaks, okay" Dimitri responded.

"Okay" I answered.

"Plus once we know the scope of the threat towards you it will be easier to plan your security" Dimitri stated.

"I just feel weird having security seeing how I am supposed to graduate and guard Lissa at college."

"I understand, but these are not normal circumstances. Your father is pretty much an enigma in our world, so it's not like there is precedence for this scenario. But we will get through it together".

"What if they won't let you guard me or what if they take me away and then you are stuck here at the academy?" I asked.

"We will face that if it comes up, but I don't think we will have to worry about it. Not to toot my own horn but I am a blood master seven. So if your father is serious about your security, I should be at the top of a short list of potential guardians" Dimitri stated.

"You would give up the academy and guarding Lissa for me? Guarding Lissa could potential make you a Queen's Guardian if she becomes Queen and it would be great for your career." I stated.

"Rose the only person I care about other than my family is you and we will find a way to be together".

I started blushing again. I noticed that while talking, Dimitri and I had finished off the brownies. Dimitri must have noticed as well as he took the plate and placed it on the bedside table. He then pointed "you have chocolate on your lip".

I licked my lips trying to get it, but Dimitri said "Here let me help you" as he leaned over and licked the part of my lip that had the chocolate on it. I gasped as I had not expected it and he then kissed me hard slipping his tongue into my mouth. Dimitri then pulled me onto his lap so that I was straddling him. Not that I had a lot of experience with men, but with the way he was kissing me, I don't think I have ever been this turned on. I finally had to break this kiss so I could breathe, but Dimitri kept kissing me down my neck as he had one hand in my hair and the other on my lower back. As he was kissing my neck, he started to nip at me and it was like my body knew what to do even if I didn't as my hips bucked into him. Dimitri growled at me when I did that and the hand in my hair went down to my hip. Dimitri went back to kissing me passionately and my hands went from the front of his chest to the back of his neck where I reached his hair tie and pulled it out. The next time my hips bucked, Dimitri already had both his hands on my hips and pushed me down onto him. This action caused my core to pulsate and I could feel myself getting wetter and I could also feel Dimitri getting hard beneath me.

I had to break the kiss to breathe again and I moaned "Dimitri".

He responded "I know Roza, I know".

My hands went back down his chest and I grabbed the bottom portion of his shirt and pulled it off of him and threw it across the room. And before Dimitri could go back to kissing me I took of my shirt and threw it in the same direction that I had thrown his shirt in. I was full on grinding on Dimitri at this point, as his hands were on my hips guiding me and he moaned as he got a look at me in my black bra.

"Oh god Roza" he said as he started kissing my neck and was working his way down to my chest as a started arching back to give him better access.

All of a sudden we heard Celeste knock on the door and tell Dimitri to come out. I got off Dimitri and he got off the bed and grabbed my shirt and gave it back to me as he put his own shirt back on.

"Stay here" Dimitri said as he grabbed his stakes and put them in his holders as he walked out the door. I followed him to the door and stayed in the doorway of his room.

"It sounds like Tasha is outside Rose's old dorm room banging on the door" Celeste said.

Dimitri turned back to me and said "Rose get into your room".

I crossed through the apartment to Celeste and my room as Celeste followed me and stood protectively in the doorway of our room.

"Yuri, go out, Tasha won't be able to see you leave here from Rose's door. Act like you are doing rounds and tell her Rose has been taken off campus for an evaluation of her survival skills. I'll call Alberta and have her send back up just in case" Dimitri stated.

Yuri walked out the door and Dimitri closed and locked the door behind him and stood at the door. Dimitri mouthed to Celeste to call Alberta while he appeared to be listening through the door.

"Alberta, its Celeste, Tasha is outside Rose's door yelling, we don't know if anyone else is with her. We sent Yuri to engage her, can you send backup". Celeste listened and then said "okay" and hung up the phone. The yelling and banging stopped and a few minutes later we could hear boots coming up the stairs. I started pacing in my room because I couldn't hear anything and it was making me antsy. I peered around Celeste to look at Dimitri to see if I could tell what was happening but as usual he had his guardian mask on. I finally gave up and plopped down on my bed with my back up against the wall. About ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door and I heard "Alberta and Yuri" followed by the door opening and closing. I got off the bed and followed Celeste out the door to the living area.

"Hey everyone, are you okay Rose?" Alberta asked.

"I'm fine, what happened?"

Yuri explained "I approached Tasha and she told me that Rose had requested Tasha to stop by her room at 11 am. She said when she got to Rose's room that Jesse and Ralf were already outside her door."

Dimitri shot me a concerned look as Yuri continued "I explained to her that the female novice dorms are off limits to anyone other than female students and the guardians patrolling and that is when four other guardians appeared with Alberta."

Alberta began "I asked both Jesse and Ralf what they were doing in the female novice dorms after curfew. Unfortunately, they had a dazed look on their faces and they both stated that they didn't know what they were doing there. I sent them back to their dorms each with a guardian to watch them till tomorrow when Headmistress Kirova can discipline them."

Right then Dimitri's phone rang, he took it out of his pocket and looked at the caller id and said "It's Tasha".

Alberta said "Take it, see if you can get any information out of her."

Dimitri answered the phone and put it on speaker "Belikov".

"Dimka" Tasha said in a sickly sweet voice.

"Hi, Tasha, what's up?"

"I was calling to see if you finished working for the night. I still have that bottle of wine and I bet you could use some relaxation after your day. You work too hard, I worry about you."

"I'm fine Tasha, but thank you for your concern. I am still guarding a charge so I am not available to see you right now" Dimitri stated.

"Well, I have an idea, Guardian Petrov gave me two guardians for protection, why don't you swap out with one of the guardians and then you and I can sit down and have that glass of wine" Tasha proposed.

"Why do you have two guardians with you? Did something happen?" Dimitri inquired.

"I'm not sure, maybe because I'm royal and staying out at that cabin near the ward line. But I would feel much safer if you were here with me. Can't you come switch with one of the guardians here?"

"Sorry Tasha but Guardian Petrov usually doesn't let us swap guarding positions" Dimitri replied.

"Can't you ask her for me Dimka, please?" Tasha begged.

"I will call her, but I doubt she will change her mind."

"Okay Dimka, I know you can do it, I will see you soon" Tasha then hung up the phone.

Alberta started "After I sent Jesse and Ralf off, I asked Tasha what she was doing at Rose's door. She said that Rose had asked her to stop by, that Rose had said she wanted to get Tasha's opinion on something. So I explained that Rose was off campus being evaluated and I told her that Court had sent me more guardians, so she would be assigned two guardians since she was close to the ward line".

I flopped down on the couch and let out an angry growl. Dimitri sat beside me and rubbed my knee giving me support.

Alberta spoke again "I am going to have Yuri stay here tonight and guard so that way the three of you can get some sleep. I have a feeling it's going to be a long couple of days. I will see you all tomorrow."

"Night Alberta" I said to her as she closed the door. I let out this big yawn as the events of the last few days were caughting up to me.

"I think I am going to go to bed" I said as I was looking at Dimitri trying to figure out whether he wanted me to sleep in my own room or if he wanted me to stay in his room. I got up and walked to my room to at least get my pajamas and Dimitri followed me. Once in the room, Dimitri closed the door slightly and circled his arms around my waist and said "Milaya, as much as I would love to have you sleep in my bed tonight, I think it would be best to sleep in your bed tonight, just in case someone comes and relieves Yuri of his position in the middle of the night. But if you need me, I am right across the hall and you can come in whenever".

"Okay" I agreed. Dimitri gave me a tender kiss and left my room and went to his room. I got ready for bed and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

DPOV

I woke up to hearing soft crying in the living area. I got out of bed and opened the door to see Rose crying on Yuri's shoulder. Yuri waved me over to them and when I was next to them Yuri turned Rose into my arms. I bent down, picked her up bridal style back to my room. I closed the door with my foot and placed Rose in the middle of my bed and climbed in with her. My heart hurt for her, she had been through so much in her life like the car accident, running away with the Princess, Spokane and now this. I just hugged her to my chest and rubbed her back and kissed her on the top of her hair.

"Another nightmare?" I asked Rose.

"Yeah"

"Do you want to talk about it, it might make you feel better?"

Rose blew out a big sigh "God, I am sick of crying, I feel like I am a wimp or something".

"Roza, no one thinks you're a wimp, you have just been through a lot in a few years and recent events are not helping. You are one of the strongest people I know".

"I was dreaming that Tasha was throwing fire balls and she killed you and then I was trapped in a room that was on fire and I couldn't get out".

"I'm sorry Roza, once we meet with your father, we can figure out what to do with Tasha, but for now she is being guarded" I tried to reassure her.

"But what if she tries to compel the guards like she compelled me?" Rose asked.

"I am sure Alberta informed them that we suspect Tasha of using compulsion, so they will be vigilant about not making direct eye contact. And Yuri is out in the living area, so we are safe for tonight. Close your eyes and try to get some sleep, I am right here and it's going to be a big day for you tomorrow".

Roza fell asleep in my arms for the second night and I felt like I was in heaven. I was just about to drift off when my phone rang. I reached over and grabbed it off the night stand and looked at the caller id, it was Tasha again. Rose stirred in my arms and I told her "It's Tasha".

"Belikov" I answered the phone.

"Dimka, where are you? I snuck out I need to see you" Tasha said.

"Tasha, I am working I can't just leave and meet up with you" I stated.

"Dimka, you are working too hard."

"Tasha, it's my job, I like being a guardian but the hours are long and it doesn't give me a lot of free time".

"Dimka, that's why you should quit the academy and be my guardian".

"You know it doesn't work that way Tasha, the guardian council assigns me and they currently have me assigned to the Princess".

"Well then I'll have Vasilisa release you and then you and I can put in for a joint request."

"Tasha, can I talk to you tomorrow about this?"

"Sure Dimka, night".

"Bye Tasha"

I let out a groan.

"What did she want now?" Rose asked.

"Hold on" I dialed Alberta.

"Petrov"

"Alberta, it's Dimitri, Tasha just called me. She said she snuck away from her guardians".

"Alright, I will go to the cabin to check on the guardians and I'll let the on duty guards know to keep an eye out for her" Alberta replied.

"You might want someone to check on the Princess and her guardians as well as Tasha said she was going to talk to her about releasing me as her guardian. She sounds like she is starting to become unhinged" I informed Alberta.

"Copy" Alberta replied.

Tomorrow can't come soon enough I thought as I was rubbing Roza's back trying to lull her back to sleep.

**Sorry it took so long to post, hopefully this chapter will make up for that.**

**Thank you to everyone who took their time to give me feedback, you are all so kind and I appreciate it. Next chapter Rose will finally meet Abe and I wonder how Abe is going to respond to Tasha's antics.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Meeting Abe

DPOV

I grabbed my phone off the bedside table and saw that it was 5:30pm. I hadn't slept that much because my mind would not shut down. I kept thinking about what was the best way to protect Roza. Should we stay here at St. Vladamirs, should we go to St. Basils or was there another place that could be fortified for her protection. Court was out of the question because I am sure Abe has enemies there and as dhampirs, Rose and I would have little say in what happens to us. Plus we would have to hide our relationship more than we would here at the academy. And speaking of our relationship, it was getting harder and harder (no pun intended) to keep our hands to ourselves. But being her first time, I wanted to make it special for her and I could not plan anything until we know where she was going to be. Even though I told Roza not to worry about us being separated, there was still a chance her parents could take her away from here and me. I let out a big sigh trying to calm the panic that was rising in me.

"Comrade?" Roza croaked out.

"Morning milaya, I didn't wake you did I?" I hadn't realized that I had been playing with her hair, it was like a beacon to me.

"No, I think I have been in and out of sleep most of the night." Roza replied.

"Yeah, you seemed a little restless last night. Did you have any more nightmares?" I inquired.

"No, what time is it?"

"5:30pm"

"I know you are going to laugh at me but I would kill for a run." Roza said.

I chuckled "I know me too! Let me check with Yuri to see if he has heard anything about Tasha."

I got up out of bed and Roza rolled into my spot and I could hear her inhale deeply. I opened the door to the living area and saw Yuri and Celeste drinking coffee at the kitchen table.

"Yuri, has there been any word about Tasha?" I asked.

Yuri responded "Yes, Alberta texted me around 4pm and said they located her and she is back in the cabin with four guardians."

"Oh good, Rose and I were in the mood for a run this morning, Celeste do you mind?"

"Not at all" Celeste responded.

Yuri said "I can guard as well so that you two can run".

"Thanks Yuri, that we be great."

I went back into the bedroom and let Roza know that we could go for a run this morning. She got up and went to her room to change as I changed into workout clothes. I grabbed my gym bag and packed towels for the both of us and then went to the kitchen area and grabbed water bottles and Gatorade for the two of us.

Yuri and Celeste were already dressed in their guardian uniforms. Shortly thereafter, Roza emerged from her room in her workout attire and her hair in a high ponytail. God, she is beautiful, I thought to myself. How did I end up so lucky that this wonderful woman was in love with me.

We walked to the track as a group, at this hour the only people who were out were other guardians, who were patrolling. Roza and I started stretching silently beside each other as Yuri and Celeste took separate guarding posts. Rose and I ran in a comfortable silence around the track, even though Rose was not a morning person, she was quieter than usual. I figured she was just taking time to process everything and that she would talk to me when she was ready. One thing I knew about Roza was that you couldn't get anything out of her until she was ready.

We completed our run and started our cool down stretches and I handed Roza a towel, water and Gatorade I had brought for the both of us. "Thanks Comrade, I definitely needed that run. Sorry I wasn't talkative, I just needed to do something mindless" Roza explained.

"No problem, Roza, you know that I am here whenever you need me or need to talk."

We made our way back to the unit, depositing Yuri off at the Guardian dorms. I took my shower first and once I was dressed, I grabbed my empty duffel bag and put my training notes in it and a few other comforts for Roza. I walked into Rose's room while she was still in the shower to get her stuffed dog Pavel to bring with us. There was no way it was a coincidence that Rose had a stuffed dog named Pavel and that the head of her father's security was also named Pavel. Once we arrived at Abe's, I was going to send Celeste off to get Roza her favorite donuts. Once my bag was ready with comfort items for Roza, I started making breakfast for the three of us.

RPOV

The run from this morning did wonders for me, I didn't have to think about anything but running. Now that I was in the shower, my brain was in overdrive. I was nervous about meeting my father, I kept trying to remind myself that Dimitri and Alberta were there for me. My biggest fear was that my parents would take me away from Dimitri, Alberta and all of my friends. I got out of the shower, toweled off and got dressed in casual clothes. I brushed my hair out and left it down the way Dimitri likes it. When I came out of the bathroom, my stomach growled as I could smell the breakfast that Dimitri was making. He was making some kind of pancakes that were thin and on the table were a bunch of different toppings.

"What are you making Comrade?" I asked.

"Blini, bacon, hash browns and fruit salad." Dimitri responded. "Blini are like pancakes but have something like cottage cheese in the middle and you can put any of these toppings on them."

'It smells so good" I said as Dimitri handed me a plate loaded with everything and a tall glass of juice."

"Thanks Comrade"

"You're welcome Roza" Dimitri said as he kissed the top of my head.

Dimitri gave Celeste a similar plate of food with juice and coffee and he also had the same for himself. I took a bite and let out this loud embarrassing moan. "Oh my God Comrade, I have died and gone to heaven."

Dimitri had a big smile on his face "I am so glad you like it Roza".

"How are you feeling Rose?" Celeste asked.

"Nervous, I am not sure what to expect from my father, plus my mother has only seen me a handful of times and it never ended well. However, she has been trying since Spokane" I said as I looked back down at my food trying to calm myself down. I then felt Dimitri's hand on top of mine. I looked up and gave him a small smile as he gave me a loving look back.

We spent the rest of breakfast discussing random things, which helped to get my thoughts off of the meeting with my parents. Once we were done, Dimitri and I started washing dishes while Celeste took a shower. Okay, so technically I was only drying the dishes.

Dimitri finished washing the dishes, dried his hands off and he pulled me to him putting his hands around my waist and said "Roza, I will be right by your side today. If you need anything let me know, especially if you need a break."

"Thanks Comrade, sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am to have you by my side". I smiled up at him and was rewarded with a smile back that only I ever get to see.

Just then Dimitri's phone rang and he pulled it out of his guardian uniform. He looked at the caller id and said "It's Alberta" he answered the phone "Belikov".

After about a minute Dimitri said "Okay, we will be over shortly" and then he hung up the phone. My heart starting beating rapidly as my nerves got worse. Dimitri sensing that took a step towards me and encircled me with a big bear hug. I took a deep breath in order to calm myself down. Dimitri pulled back and said "Roza, it's going to be alright. You hold all the power in this meeting".

"I never thought about it that way before, thanks Comrade".

Celeste came out of the bathroom dressed in her guardian uniform and her hair up exposing two molnjas. Dimitri informed Celeste "Alberta called and they are ready for us."

"Okay, let me grab my stuff and then I am ready to go" Celeste said.

DPOV

I grabbed my duffle bag and we headed off towards the guest accommodations. "What's in the bag" Roza asked me.

"Guardian secrets" I smirked at Roza trying to lighten the mood and I was rewarded with a beautiful smile from my Roza.

We arrived at the suite door and I stopped and asked Roza "Are you ready to do this?"

"As ready as I will ever be" Roza responded.

"Okay, just remember if you need a break let me know and we can go to the suite next door."

And at that moment Celeste said "I'll be right next door if you need anything."

"Thanks Celeste" my Roza said.

Celeste and I had spoken this morning while Rose was in the shower and I asked her to go to the cafeteria to get Roza's favorite chocolate donuts plus multiple packs of hot chocolate. I wanted Roza to have some comforts if need be. Celeste disappeared in the room next to the suite. There were two guards on either side of the door to Roza's parent's suite. I announced Roza and myself to the two guardians, then I knocked on the door and it was immediately opened as one of Abe's guardians ushered us in.

RPOV

As I walked into the suite and looked around, it was huge, well decorated and looked like what I thought the Queen's room would look like. My mom came over to me, she was wearing casual clothes, I don't think I have ever seen her in anything other than her uniform. She gave me a hug, which was awkward at first, because I couldn't remember the last time she gave me a hug. But after a few seconds, I realized this is exactly what I needed to calm down my nerves. My mom directed me further into the suite and said "Rosemarie, I would like to introduce your father, Abe Mazur".

Abe was wearing a suit with a very colorful scarf and a gold hoop in one ear. I am not sure what I expected, but definitely not this.

"Hello Rosemarie" Abe said as he extended his hand to shake mine.

"It's just Rose" I responded.

"Okay, Rose it is, and who is this very tall guardian behind you".

Dimitri stepped forward and put his hand out to shake Abe's hand "Dimitri Belikov" Dimitri stated with all of his guardian authority.

"Are you Yeva's grandson?" Abe asked.

"Yes, I am" Dimitri responded a little confused as to how Abe would know her. Sensing my uneasiness, Abe stated "I have known Yeva for a very long time. She has helped me out in the past and I am forever in her debt."

I could see Dimitri staring at Abe trying to size him up. Abe continued and introduced me to the five guardians in the room with him. As Abe got to the last guardian he said "And this is the head guardian of my team, Pavel, he will be involved in the discussion about your security".

I then turned to look at Dimitri and said "You knew about this?"

"Yes, I'm sorry Rose, I didn't say anything because I wanted to see if you would remember on your own. I am so sorry and I swear this was the only thing I omitted from our conversations."

Abe, my mother and Pavel all looked at each other trying to figure out what Dimitri and I were talking about. Finally, Abe spoke up "Why don't we all take a seat".

There were three couches making a U shaped configuration, Abe and my mother sat on one, Alberta and Pavel on the one next to Abe and my mother. Then Dimitri and I sat on the couch opposite of my parents.

Abe started "What were you referring to just now?"

I took a deep breath as Dimitri reached into his gym bag and handed me my stuffed dog as I told Abe "His name is Pavel and I have had him ever since I came to the academy but I don't remember where he came from".

Pavel was the one to speak up "When we dropped you off here, I gave you that stuffed animal hoping it would give you comfort while you were here at St. Vladamirs. I am pleased you still have him and that he looks well loved".

I gave Pavel a quick smile as I fidgeted with the stuffed dog. Abe then spoke up "Rose, I know you have been through a lot the past few days with Tasha and now being here and meeting me for the first time. What would be easier for you? You asking us questions or us just telling you our story from the beginning or do you have another suggestion?".

"I think it would be best for you to just start at the beginning" I replied.

For the next hour, Abe explained how my mother and he were introduced at a park. He said once they met they had become inseparable, spending as much time as possible and that my mother also took a leave of absence at that time. He explained "That while you were an unexpected pregnancy, once we found out your mother and I were ecstatic. We decorated the nursery and bought every conceivable accessory a baby could need."

At this point, I hadn't realized I was crying, I felt Dimitri wrap his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. I looked up at him and saw such a loving expression. I took a deep breath and said "I thought I was just an accident and that neither of you cared about me or loved me. I thought the reason you left me at the academy was so you didn't have to deal with me."

Abe started and said "It was the complete opposite. Your mother and I loved each other deeply and were so happy when we found out she was pregnant. I had never believed in love at first sight, but the minute I saw you, I was so in love with you and I couldn't believe you were mine. And for the next three years, I was over the moon with joy and so happy that your mother and you were in my life. But then unfortunately, due to the nature of my business, threats to you and your mother started surfacing. At first, I guess I was cocky, thinking that I had enough guardians to protect the both of you. Until the day that your mother and you were both at Court with me and your mother was shot while she was out with you. Your mother and I felt the safest place to hide you was at St. Vladamirs. Your mother and I separated for her safety and she went back to her charge. She monitored your progress and would inform me when she could and I also inquired about you from time to time, but we had to be cautious as we didn't want anyone to know where you were. And your mother wanted to visit more often, but we were afraid it might draw to much attention. I am sorry if that was the worst thing to do for you, but at the time we thought it was the best option that we could think of."

At this point I turned to Dimitri and told him that I needed a break. Dimitri stood up immediately and gave me his hand to stand up. His hand then went to the small of my back as he guided me to the door. "We will be right next door" Dimitri said as we exited the suite. Abe nodded at Dimitri and said "Take your time."

We walked into the suite next door and Dimitri knocked on the door then opened it while announcing our presence for Celeste's benefit. I walked in and plopped down on the couch and closed my eyes and let out a big sigh. Dimitri went to the kitchen and a few minutes later he sat down next to me. I could smell chocolate which peaked my interest enough to open my eyes. Dimitri had made me hot chocolate plus there was a plate of chocolate donuts in front of me.

"Comrade, you are the best" I said as I was stuffing my face with a donut.

Celeste asked "How is it going?"

"Okay I guess, just a little overwhelming. I just needed a moment to digest everything my father was telling me" I explained.

"Just remember this is all on your terms. Take breaks when you need them and we don't have to discuss everything today, we can meet with your parents over a few days" Dimitri said while he was rubbing my back.

"Thanks for everything Comrade. You have really been there for me and not just over the past few days but pretty much since you brought me back from Portland. I appreciate it and love you for it" I said lovingly.

"You are my life Roza" Dimitri told me while hugging me and kissing my forehead.

There was a knock on the door and Dimitri got up and asked "Who is it?" through the door.

"Pavel"

Dimitri looked at me as if to ask if it was alright to let him in. I nodded yes and Dimitri opened the door and let him in.

Pavel spoke "Rose, I know you needed a break but I just wanted to inform you that in addition to Dimitri and Celeste, I have scheduled two guardians to be stationed outside your room here or wherever you might be, because of the whole thing with Tasha. When you are out and about I have asked them to follow you but to be discreet as possible. Once we get through everything then we can discuss how to arrange your security".

"Thank you Pavel" I said. "I was wondering if Dimitri will be able to stay on as one of my guardians.".

"That shouldn't be a problem. When the time is right we will discuss the logistics" Pavel replied.

"Do you have a minute to sit down, I had a couple of questions for you?" I asked Pavel.

Pavel took a seat on the couch next to Celeste and Dimitri sat back down next to me. Dimitri kept a reasonable distance from me as we were not ready to discuss our relationship.

"I was wondering if you could tell me little more about you and my stuffed dog" I directed towards Pavel.

"Of course" Pavel responded "So, I have been your father's guardian since we were both eighteen."

"Wow, were you friends in school or something?" I asked.

"No, I was assigned to him by Court. This was before your father was able to hire his own private security. But your father and I hit it off from the beginning, so it did not take long for a friendship to develop between us. When your father met your mother, he was intrigued by her. I am sure you are familiar with your mother's feisty side" Pavel stated.

"Yes, all too well" I replied rolling my eyes.

"Well, your father loved antagonizing her and eventually the two of them started to fall in love. The saying that opposites attract is definitely true in their case. Anyways, it was true what they said about being ecstatic when they found out Janine was pregnant with you" Pavel said. "And you definitely inherited your mother's feistiness. When you were a baby you could scream the house down".

I chuckled at that revelation.

"So at night when you couldn't sleep and you were screaming your head off, I used to carry you throughout the house and as soon as I started talking to you about anything, you would immediately stop crying and look up at me with these big brown eyes as if I was telling you the secrets of the world. It was probably my most favorite thing to do" Pavel said as I wiped a tear that had fallen. Dimitri had moved closer to me and was rubbing my back as Pavel talked.

"And pretty much from the time you could walk you wanted to spar like all of your father's guardians. And most of the guardians would comply, they would get down to your level and they would always let you win of course. And by the time you were three years old, you had developed your own little victory dance". Dimitri, Celeste and I all laughed at that.

Pavel took a moment then continued "When your mother was shot and even though no harm came to you. It hit many of the guardians hard, they felt like they had failed at their job. Since you were in your mother's arms at the time of the shooting and even though you were unharmed, there was blood all over you. So we used that to our advantage and put the word out that you were killed. The day we brought you here to the academy was probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I felt like I was your uncle, so I gave you the stuffed dog, which you immediately named it "Pavel". I was hoping that you would remember me and how much I cared for you."

I was full on crying at this point and I got up off the couch and Pavel stood up at the same time as I launched myself into his arms. Even though I couldn't remember him from my past, I could tell how much he loved me.

While Pavel was hugging me and rubbing my back he said "I'm so sorry that we left you at the academy, we thought it was the best idea at the time."

I took a step back and said "Thanks Pavel, tell my parents, I will be over in a few minutes."

Pavel left and as soon as the door closed, Dimitri was at my side hugging me and peppering my face with kisses and giving me his support. I took a few big breaths and told Dimitri "I am just going to the bathroom to freshen up".

When I walked into the bathroom, I looked in the mirror and of course my eyes were blood shot and swollen from crying. Seriously, when did I become such a cry baby all the time. I washed my face when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"It's Celeste, can I come in?"

"Sure" I replied.

Celeste walked in and I could see that she had a makeup bag with her. "If you want I could help you do your makeup, I have gotten good over the years covering up bruises I get from sparring.

"Thanks Celeste, I would really appreciate it."

"First, use these eye drops they will decrease the redness in your eyes".

I sat on the counter next to the sink and Celeste went to work. After about 15 minutes she was done. I looked in the mirror and she had done an awesome job. You couldn't tell that I had been crying plus the makeup was subtle you could barely tell that I was wearing any.

"Celeste this is awesome".

"Roza you look beautiful" I had not realized that Dimitri had been standing in the doorway watching us.

"Thanks Comrade"

"Are you ready to go back?" Dimitri asked.

"Yeah, I think so" As I walked out of the bathroom towards the door, Dimitri stopped me and gave me the sweetest kiss on my lips and said "I will be right next to you if you need me."

Dimitri and I walked out of the suite and as Pavel said there were two guards outside our door and two guards posted outside my parent's suite. We were announced and then walked in. Abe immediately stood up and came over to me "How are you doing?"

"Better, I just needed some time to process everything".

"Well I have ordered lunch for us all and I heard rumors of a shopping trip for you and your friends?"

"Yes, Lissa, Princess Dragomir wanted to go shopping. Christian, her boyfriend and our friends Eddie and Adrian were going to come, along with Christian's aunt Tasha." I saw a hint of anger in Abe's eyes and realized I probably never wanted to get on his bad side.

"Ahh, Tasha, yes, Pavel and I will be discussing the best options for her "future". But for now I agree with Alberta that we let her believe that nobody is aware of what she is doing. Alberta said that Lord Ivashkov was able to perform an anti-compulsion effect on you, Dimitri and Guardian Mathews?"

"Yes, but it hasn't been really tested yet."

"Well, I plan on sending you with a full complement of guardians. I also have a credit card here in your name and have gotten you a cell phone that has a panic button app for your safety" he said as he pulled an envelope from his suit pocket and handed me a box with an iPhone in it. "There is no limit on the card, so feel free to buy whatever you want or need."

"That's okay, I don't really need much." I said.

"Rose since before you were born, I have been saving money for you, you have a trust fund that probably rivals the Queen. Besides I haven't been able to spoil you since you were three, don't begrudge your old man now."

"Okay, thanks" I said as I took the envelope.

Abe continued "Unless you have any pressing questions, I was thinking we could have lunch and then we will let you rest as I believe the bus for the mall will be leaving at 7am. We can continue to get together over the next few days and discuss anything you like, you are my priority right now and your safety is of my utmost concern, so your mother and I will be here for the foreseeable future".

There was a knock on the door and two people from the kitchen staff walked in with sandwiches and salads for lunch. Just as we all sat down, Dimitri's phone rang. He pulled it out and looked at the caller id "It's Tash again" he groaned as I rolled my eyes. Everyone quieted down as Dimitri answered the phone and put it on speaker.

"Belikov"

"Dimka"

"Hi Tasha"

"Hi, how is your day going?"

"Just working" Dimitri answered.

"How can you be working, I am with Lissa and Christian right now and you are not with Lissa. Lissa says she has had new guardians the last few days. Are you not guarding Lissa anymore? Does that mean you are free to be my guardian" Tasha asked wishfully.

"No, Guardian Petrov just has me working on another assignment right now".

"Oh, well anyways, the reason I was calling was I was wondering if you were going on the shopping trip?."

"I am not sure, I am just about to go into a meeting with Guardian Petrov to discuss the trip" Dimitri stated.

"Okay, well I hope you are, I could always use a man's opinion on which bras and panties to get. I could even try then on for you?" Tasha said trying to sound sexy but failing miserably.

I silently made a vomiting gesture at that suggestion.

"Tasha, I need to go" Dimitri said hanging up the phone before Tasha could respond. "Ugh that is a site I do not want to see."

We finished lunch which was a little awkward after Tasha's call. I said goodbye to my parents, Pavel and Alberta. Dimitri and I left with Celeste and the two guardians that Pavel had assigned. Once we reached our suite the two guards said they would be outside if I needed them. We closed the door and Celeste headed off to our room to rest prior to our shopping trip. I looked up at Dimitri "Can I just stay in your room with you while we rest? I just need to cuddle with you for a little bit."

"Of course, Roza" Dimitri took my hand and brought me into his room. He went and got a t-shirt and handed it to me "You might be more comfortable in this". Dimitri turned his back as I took of my jeans and shirt and put on his t-shirt which was like a dress on me and he stripped down to his boxers.

"How is _that_ sight going to make me want to rest?" Dimitri smirked, then he put on a shirt and peeled back the covers for me to get in as he followed me. Dimitri laid down on his back and he opened his arms to me and I molded myself to him.

"Rest now"

"Are you sure you want to rest?" I asked him wiggling my eyebrows at him.

Dimitri groaned and said "You will be the death of me Roza".


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Shopping Trip

I woke up to kisses all over my face, smiled and opened my eyes to see the best sight ever. Dimitri's chocolate brown eyes staring at me and a full smile that he shares only with me.

"You ready to go shopping" Dimitri asked me.

"I think so, but what do I tell Lissa and everyone about why I have these guardians with me" I asked.

"Alberta texted us earlier that your parents are coming along, so that will explain the extra guardians. And as for you, we are going to say that we are trialing a new guardian training technique. Also, your father said to pack a bag for the night". Dimitri said.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I don't know he just said to pack a bag for the night."

"Okay" I said as I got up and put on my jeans and top and I gave Dimitri back his shirt. I went in to my bedroom to pick out an outfit. I decided on black skinny jeans, a dark red camisole with a black sweater that hugged my figure and my boots. I finished it off with my black leather jacket. I grabbed my back pack and put in an outfit for the next day and a pair of pjs, and I got my toiletries. I got my new phone and my new credit card and placed them in my cross body purse.

I walked into the living area and I heard an audible gasp from Dimitri.

"Roza, you are going to torture me all day in that outfit."

"You look pretty dam good too" I said as I took him in, he was in casual clothes dark jeans, his boots, a dark shirt that clung to him and his signature duster.

Dimitri walked up to me and gave me a kiss, when he pulled back he reached for my red camisole peeking out and he said "I really like this."

I took a deep breath trying to calm myself down. Dimitri grabbed my back pack and said "Are you ready to go?"

"Yep"

Celeste led us out of the dorm and there were two new guards at the door dressed in casual clothes, they introduced themselves Guardian Jefferson and Guardian Seigler. We walked to the front of the administration building, where there was a chartered bus and waiting for us was Lissa, Christian, Adrian and Tasha along with guardians for all of them. While Lissa's guardians were there to protect her, Tasha's guardians were there to protect us from her. As soon as Tasha saw Dimitri she launched herself at him.

"Dimka, I am so glad you are coming, you can help me shop and maybe we could go and have dinner together privately."

Dimitri put Tasha down and he took a step back from Tasha and said "I'm sorry Tasha, we are using today as a learning exercise, and so I will be unable to interact with you."

Lissa stepped up next to me to try to smooth over the situation, she asked "Rose, what's going on, what's with the chartered bus and all these guardians."

"Well remember when my mother called and said she was coming here. She came this morning and she brought my father with her. So I met him and he has his own guardian army."

Just then my parents walked up to us with Pavel at his side. "Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Adrian and Tasha, these are my parents Abe Mazur and Janine Hathaway and my father's guardian Pavel. Mom, Dad, Pavel, this is Princess Vaslisa Dragomir, Lord Christian Ozera, Novice Eddie Castile, Lord Adrian Ivashkov and Lady Tasha Ozera."

My father shook everyone's hand as they were introduced but he lingered with Tasha giving her a once over. He broke out of his trance and clapped his hands and said "alright everyone, let's get going."

We piled on the bus and Dimitri was behind me guiding me down the aisle towards the back of the bus. Christian and Lissa were sitting together and Eddie and Adrian were across from them. Tasha was sitting by herself desperately trying to get Dimitri's attention but he ignored her and we sat down near the back of the bus. I sat next to the window with Dimitri next to the aisle. I looked across and saw Yuri and Celeste sitting together.

"Yuri" I didn't know you were coming!"

"Yeah, I weaseled myself in." Yuri laughed. I look back to Dimitri giving him a big smile. He looks around and then he kisses me. He pulls back and asks me "Have set up your new phone."

"No, not yet. I'm not good at things like that." I replied.

I pulled my phone out and gave it to Dimitri and he fiddled with it and set up everything for me. He puts his number and Celeste's number and then all of my other friend's phone numbers. He sets up my email so I can check it.

"Wait" I said "How do you know the password to my email?"

"Well, it is sexy Russian god is it not?" He smirks at me.

I look at him and cannot stop the huge blush that takes over my whole entire face. No one has ever made me this embarrassed.

"I like that look on you" Dimitri stated.

"What look?" I can barely get out.

"Your blushing, I love it."

I start laughing "Only you can do this to me."

"I can't wait to make you blush more." He smirks at me.

He goes back to my phone and shows me the panic button. "We will get your Dad's and Pavel's number and we will set it so if you hit the panic button it will alert the three of us and make sure that you keep the location on. I don't plan on leaving your side but just in case." I nodded at him.

Lissa walks back to us and kneels backwards on the seat in front of us.

"So the guys want to go do their own things like video games and gadgets. It leaves you, me and Tasha to go shopping, will you be okay with that? I mean I know something is going on. Can we talk either later today or tomorrow?"

"Yes, we need to talk, so much has happened. As for shopping with Tasha, we can put up with her as long as she's not hanging off Dimitri."

Lissa said "I will talk to her. But this is great. We can get dresses for our last senior dance, our graduation dresses and you will need something for the promise ceremony. Plus, we can get you some new workout clothes and some casual clothes too. Oh and shoes!"

"Liss, are you going to be dressing me up like I am your doll or something?"

"Yup, pretty much and you are going to enjoy it" Lissa smiled as she left us.

I sighed and looked at Dimitri and he had a smirk on his face.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing" he said back but started blushing.

"It's not nothing, you're blushing." I replied curiously.

"I was just thinking a trip to Victoria Secrets might be fun." He said quietly.

"Comrade" I squealed as I now blushed but I really liked the idea.

We finally reached the mall and the guys went off to do their own things. Dimitri and I got Abe's phone number as well as Pavel's number. My parents went on their way with Pavel and some of the guardians. That left Lissa, Tasha, and me with Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri as guardians as well as the two guardians from my door following at a distance. A few of the guardians were staying on the bus or were on their own time at the mall, but nearby if needed since it was daytime.

The first store that we went into was more for Lissa and Tasha's slim body type with no curves and no breasts. I would not fit in anything here.

The second store was perfect for Celeste and me. We went crazy getting new workout gear. Lissa was helping Tasha pick out workout gear and keeping her away from Dimitri. I also snuck in some new workout gear for Dimitri as well and Celeste helped me with his sizes. We got to the register and I told the lady to ring it all up together. Celeste protested and I said "Please let me do this for you, you have been so kind to me and Dimitri. Plus I am taking my father at his word to buy whatever I want."

Celeste finally agreed and gave me a big hug. We walked out of the store and I had a big smile on my face and Dimitri said "Did you have fun?"

"Yup" I answered as Dimitri grabbed the bags from me ever the gentleman, so I was free to continue shopping.

The third store we went to was the place for our dresses. Lissa immediately found a dress for the senior dance, it was an emerald green and with her hair and skin complexion, she looked amazing. We then found a simple dress for graduation that was black with white flower designs, it was long but it hung on her body perfectly. Tasha was busy by herself looking at a rack of dresses that look like they belonged on a street corner. Lissa and I rolled our eyes at the same time and we both broke out laughing. I had missed her over the last few days and I appreciated that Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri were giving Lissa and I time together.

Lissa put together the perfect outfit for my promise ceremony. It was a flowing skirt that came just to my knees a camisole top in a pale blue that matched a color in the design of the skirt and a black cardigan sweater. It was perfect and with my hair up it would be easy to get my promise mark. Then, I found a dress I liked for graduation, it was similar to the one Lissa had found. It was long and black with a white design on it, and it was a little low cut but hugged my curves in all the right places.

We went back out of the dressing room to find a dress for the dance. We looked through just about every rack when I found it and it was a black dress that went to my knees. It had one shoulder with a tight bodice that flowed out from my hips with silver sparkles in the fabric. I took I into the dressing room but I couldn't get the zipper up all the way, so I stepped out of the fitting room expecting to find Lissa. But I found Dimitri who was staring at me with his mouth open. After a minute, he broke his dazed look and turned me around and slowly zipped up the rest of my dress. He looked around and then he guided me into the dressing room and closed the door. He pushed me up against the wall and started kissing me and his hands were roaming all over my body. My hands went straight for his hair and when I opened my mouth to moan his tongue slid into mine. One of his legs went between mine and I could feel his erection getting hard and lengthening against my hip.

Just then we heard Lissa ask how the dress looked. It was like a bucket of water was dumped on us and we separated and I told Lissa I would be out in a minute. I realized I needed to get redressed with Dimitri still in the small fitting room and the sexual tension between us was so thick. He turned me around and unzipped the dress all the way. He helped me step out of the dress which left me in just my panties because I had taken my bra off since it didn't go with the dress. I grabbed my bra and put it on and I put my hands behind my back to fasten my bra but Dimitri grabbed it from me and fastened it for me as he placed a kiss on the back of my neck. I put my jeans back on along with my shirt, sweater and boots. I grabbed the three outfits and I gave Dimitri a look. I opened the door, looked out and I saw no one, so we exited the dressing rooms silently hoping that no one would see us both come out together.

Lissa and Tasha were busy paying for their purchases and I separated from Dimitri to go to pay for my outfits. Once I was done I got a text from my father asking to meet at the food court in 20 minutes and I replied yes to him. Dimitri and I then took my bags, Lissa's bags and Tasha's bag back to the bus so we wouldn't have to carry them around. There were a few guardians on the bus, so Dimitri and I couldn't really do anything. As we were walking back towards the food court I was wondering how we were going to survive Victoria's Secret without tearing each other's clothes off.

We reached the food court and located our group, the boys were back and so were my parents with Lissa and Tasha. Dimitri went to get his healthy food as I hit up the fast food line and got two quarter pounder cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings and a large coke. I went and sat down next to Lissa when Dimitri sat down on my other side. He had two huge salads and waters. He grabbed one of my burgers and some fries and passed me one of the salads. I looked at him and he said "it's a compromise". Dimitri and his healthy eating.

My father came over to where we were eating and he asked "How is the shopping going?"

"Great, thank you so much, we have found our dresses."

"What more shopping did you have in mind?" he asked.

"Maybe just one or two more stores if that's okay?"

"Absolutely" Abe said "I just wanted to get an idea of when you were done. We are going to a hotel nearby to discuss somethings with you. The bus will drop us off first and then the rest of your friends and their guardians will go back to school. How does 3 pm sound?"

"Okay" I said as I looked nervously at Dimitri, but he gave me a reassuring look.

Dimitri and I finished up our lunch, Lissa and Tasha had finished earlier. The guys had taken off to do their own thing and I noticed my parents had disappeared as well.

Dimitri, Lissa, Tasha, Celeste, Yuri and I headed off to Victoria Secrets with a few more guardians discreetly following us. Once in the store, Tasha went straight for the bright flashy items and Lissa and I went for the more subdued bras and panties. I picked out cotton panties for every day comfort and then I picked out matching bras. I went for black, white and pink, my signature colors. I then looked at the more lacy bra and panties, I took a red one and a black one to try on. Lissa had her items and we both went into the dressing room. I tried on the cotton bras to make sure that they fit and they were comfortable. Then I tried on the red lacy bra as Lissa snuck into my dressing room to show me the lacy baby doll slip she tried on.

"Oh my god Rose, that color looks awesome on you. You definitely need to get it."

"Is that for Christian?" I said raising my eyebrows.

"Yes" Lissa was blushing.

"It looks great. Christian will love it."

Lissa went back to her dressing room when I heard a women's voice ask "Is there a Rose in here?"

I stuck my head out and said "yes".

"A young man asked that I give these to you."

She gave me three hangers with lingerie on them. One was the same baby doll slip that Lissa had picked up in black. The next was a pink with black polka dots satin pj shorts set. The third was a red corset and as I was trying it on as Lissa walked in.

"Oh my god Rose that looks awesome on you. Who is the 'man' that wanted you to try them on?"

I peeked outside and saw that the coast is clear. "Liss, you have to swear that won't say anything to anyone."

"I promise" she replied.

"It's Dimitri, we are in love. We have been fighting it for a while but the day that I was assaulted, he told me that he was in love with me."

"That's great I am so happy for you Rose, it makes sense, I should have seen it earlier. The way you two interact with each other I can't believe I didn't see it before. So, what is up with your father here?"

"So, I'll give you the short version, basically, my parents were together until I was three. But because of his business my mother and I were in danger, so my mom left with me and hid me at the academy when I turned four. My mom didn't visit often because they were afraid it would alert them to my hiding spot. But they tried to keep an eye on me as much as they could. But apparently there is now an immediate threat to me so he came here with his private guardians and Alberta assigned Dimitri and Celeste to protect me until he arrived.

"Wow" Lissa said with her mouth open very un-princess-like.

"Yeah"

Lissa was already dressed and ready with her purchases when she came into my dressing room. I took off the lingerie and put my clothes back on while we were talking. I gathered up the three items Dimitri sent and my other purchases and as we left the dressing room, I could swear I saw Tasha walking out. I thought 'shit' to myself. I would have to let Dimitri know that I told Lissa about us and that Tasha may have overheard. I went to the register and the sales lady rung me up. I took my bags and Lissa and Tasha followed. When we left the store Dimitri, Celeste and Zuri were waiting with their guardian masks on. I wondered if something was wrong, but I knew I wouldn't get it out of him until we were alone.

"Your father texted for us to meet at the bus, so there is enough time to go to the hotel and then get the rest of everyone back to school" Dimitri stated.

"Okay, I think we have done enough damage" I said trying to be snarky.

**Hi, sorry for the update taking a while, but life got in the way mostly my phone decided to die on me and niece broke two bones in her leg while playing sports, but is on the way to recovery. Already working through the next chapter and will get it out asap. If there are mistakes and I am sure there are, it is because I wanted to get this out to everyone, but I will go back and try to find them. Thank you everyone for reading and thank you to everyone leaving comments. You guys are awesome.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Hotel

As we walked back to the bus, Lissa was animated discussing how we should do our hair for the dance and graduation, even though it was a good three months away. I was trying to be upbeat since I didn't know if I would still be at St Vlad's to graduate. We filed into the bus and again Dimitri and I sat in the back but Dimitri still had his guardian mask on unlike the ride up here.

"Everything okay Dimitri?" I asked.

"Everything is fine Rose" Dimitri replied not meeting my eyes. Hmm, calling me Rose in private and not meeting my eyes, something is definitely wrong. But I know I won't get it out of him until we are alone and he is ready to tell me.

The bus pulled up to the hotel and my parents, Pavel, Dimitri, Celeste, Yuri and I got up and exited the bus with about six more guardians. As I passed Lissa and everyone else, I said goodbye to them. When I got to Tasha, there was a distinctive look on her face, as if she was disgusted with me. I shivered a little under her gaze, Dimitri must have also seen because he put his hand on my lower back and guided me off the bus and his hand did not leave me while we entered the hotel.

When we entered the foyer we were greeted by two people from the hotel. "Welcome to Downtown Hotel, we are so pleased to have you and your family with us, Mr. Mazur" said the gentleman dressed in a suit. "Please follow us to the elevators and we will show you to your suites."

We followed the man in the suit and my parents, Pavel and four guardians went into one elevator and a woman dressed in a pant suit directed the rest of us to the next elevator. She pushed the button for the top floor then slid her card through a reader. Once we were all in, she said "Miss Hathaway, my name is Cindy and I am here to help you with anything you might need, we will first go to your father's suite and then we will show you to your suite."

"Thank you Cindy" I replied feeling nervous as I had never stayed in a suite before. I hadn't really ever been in a hotel before especially not the top floor. We arrived to the top floor seconds after the first elevator arrived and we followed everyone to my parent's suite and my eyes bugged out, it was the Presidential Suite. It was huge it had a full kitchen, living room and dining room. It even had a baby grand piano. The hotel man, who now introduced himself as Evan, explained that there were two bedrooms at end of the suite with their own attached bathroom.

Abe announced "Alright, why doesn't everyone go to their rooms and freshen up a bit and meet us back here in an hour for some snacks". That peaked my interest and I hoped that my stomach didn't make it's presence noted.

Cindy addressed our group and said "If you will follow me, I will show you to your suite." We walked into our suite and it was similar to Abe's room except smaller. We had a nice living area with huge flat screen tv, there was a kitchenette which Cindy showed us it was fully stocked with food and drinks.

"If you run out of food or drinks feel free to call the kitchen, they will come right up and restock it" Cindy explained. On the opposite side of the kitchenette sat a counter top with three stools.

Cindy showed us the two bedrooms, one had two queen size beds and a huge bathroom with a shower and a bathtub. I assumed this is where Celeste and I would be staying. The other side had a king size bed where I assumed Dimitri would sleep with an awesome bathroom. The shower was covered with soft rocks on three sides and the floor with a glass door to get in and the shower head had multiple settings. There was a tub that looked like it could fit at least four people. Oh Comrade, I am so jealous, I thought maybe he would let me try out the shower and maybe the bathtub. We walked out and Cindy gave us her number if we needed anything. Dimitri showed her out, closed the door and locked it and turned around and said "Rose, you take the king size bed, Celeste and I will take the queen bedroom."

"No, Comrade, you stay in the king room, it will fit your height. I can stay with Celeste" I said.

"No, your father wants you to stay in the king size room." Dimitri said. Dimitri picked up my purchases and back pack and brought them into the king room as I followed to try to talk with him. He placed them on the bed and said "Rose, I will be across the hall if you need me and I will see you in 45 minutes to escort you to your father's suite" he turned and he closed the door to my room.

Oh shit, obviously my father has had a conversation with Dimitri and it apparently did not go well. Tears started to leak down my face. I was so upset and confused after Dimitri being so loving and now to have his guardian mask on and talk to me in such a cold professional way. I just couldn't take it. I sat down on my bed and cried for about 15 minutes. I realized that I need to get ready to go to my parent's room, so I tried to rally and got my toiletries in the shower and then came back into the room and pulled out my new panties and bras crying the whole time. I saw the choices Dimitri chose and then my choices, I couldn't bring myself to wear what he got me at this point. I was looking forward to wearing them, but apparently there had been a shift in our relationship that I was not aware of. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a long sleeved top and laid them on my bed. I got into the shower and went thru the different settings and chose rainstorm it was as relaxing as it could be. After I finished washing and rinsing off my body, I sat on the floor of the shower with the water coming down on me. And I cried again and not a pretty cry, a hard, ugly cry and loud sobs released from my body. After a while when the tears stopped flowing, I got up and dried myself off and grabbed the big terry cloth towel and put it on around me. I towel dried my hair off and myself as best I could. I walked into the bedroom and I dug out my makeup bag and I sat down in front of the mirror and saw that my eyes were on bloodshot and swollen from crying. I wouldn't be able to cover this with makeup.

I heard a knock on the door "Rose, are you ready to go?" Dimitri asked through the door.

I replied "Yes, in about five minutes" my voice was breaking up as I said that and I knew I didn't sound like myself. The door opened and closed and Dimitri kneeled next to me and took my face in his hands as he says "Roza, what's going on?"

"Nothing" I said, I knew he didn't believe me.

"Roza, please tell me what is wrong and why you have been crying."

The tears started again and I let out a sob. Dimitri encircled me and lifted me up as he sat down in the chair and cradled me on his lap as he pulled my head to his chest and rubbed my back. He started kissing the top of my head and said "It's me, isn't it".

I nodded my head and continued crying into his chest.

"I'm so sorry that I put my guardian mask up. I just got scared and that is my only way to cope. Your father called and said we were going to discuss your safety and where your parents were going to relocate you. I thought about you leaving me after I just got you and it scared me, I am so sorry I upset you." Dimitri admitted.

"But I don't want to go anywhere without you" I cried into his chest. Dimitri lifted my chin slowly so I could look at him and he said "I will find a way to be with you no matter what. I love you and I will be with you."

I put my arms around his neck and said "I love you too Comrade". Then he slowly brought his lips to mine and he brushed his tongue along my bottom lip and asked for permission, which I granted. His tongue massaged mine as he deepened the kiss, finally we had to stop and breath. Dimitri put his forehead on mine and said "As much as I want to pick you up and carry you to that king size bed and take this towel off, you need to get dressed so we can see your parents."

"Okay" I giggled as I got up off his lap. He stood up and went to the door and I said "You don't have to leave." Dimitri turned to me and his eyes seemed much darker with a look of lust. I turned my back to him and put on my panties. Then I dropped my towel and grabbed my bra put it on and went to fasten it when Dimitri said "Let me do that."

I looked over my shoulder and smiled at him as he walked up behind me. Just like in the dressing room he took the back of my bra and fastened it and then kissed me on the back of my neck. I put on my jeans, shirt and ballet flats. I left my hair out and just put on lip gloss. There was no way to hide my puffy eyes so I didn't try. Dimitri and I walked out and Celeste and Yuri were waiting on the couch. I said "wait where is Yuri sleeping?"

Yuri patted the couch and said "right here."

"But that's not fair you should have a bed too."

"It's alright Rose, the couch pulls out to a bed, I will be comfortable" Yuri said.

"Okay, well you can use my bathroom if you want, actually all of you can use the shower or tub."

"Thanks Rose, that is very kind of you" Yuri said.

Celeste and Yuri got up to go next door to my parent's suite and Celeste asked "Rose, your eyes are all puffy, what were you crying for?"

"I think everything just registered and I guess by crying I released it out." Celeste gave me a hug and said "Rose, we are all here for you whatever you need. I know Lissa is like a sister to you, but seriously I am here for you if you need a female dhampir to talk to."

"Thanks Celeste"

Then Yuri came up to me and gave me a big bear hug lifting me off the ground and said "Nothing is going to happen to you while we are here."

"Thanks Yuri."

I looked back at Dimitri and he had a smile on his face, as if to say 'see everyone loves you'. The four of us left and walked down the hall and I knocked on the door. My father answered the door "Rose cone on" and stopped mid-sentence "what's wrong?"

"Nothing" I said as I stepped into the suite "I think all the events were catching up to me."

My father opened his arms and I walked into his embrace. I was tense at first but then I relaxed into his embrace. I smelled either his aftershave or cologne and it smelled familiar to me and seemed to invoke thoughts of love. There is no way I could remember his scent after all these years, right I pondered. When he released me and brought me farther into the suite along with Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri, my mom walked up and gave me a hug as well. "Rosemarie, we are here for you. I know that it did not seem like I loved you very much and I am sorry for that. But I really love you with all my heart and we are all here to protect you" my mom reassured me.

Pavel was behind my mother and then came to my side and said "my turn" as he gave me a hug and he said "we will figure this all out with you and keep you safe."

"Thank you Pavel".

"Rose, why don't you and everyone else get some food and we can sit down and talk" my father said. We all went to the table and grabbed a plate, there were tons of hors d'oeuvres and I basically grabbed one of each and grabbed a bottle of ice tea.

I went to the living area and sat down on one side of the enormous couch, Dimitri followed me and sat down next to me followed by Celeste and Yuri. My parents were across from me and Pavel sat in a matching sofa chair and there were four guardians around the room I noticed.

My father started first "Rose, your mother and I are very sorry that you are in the position you are in and it is my fault. When I was younger, I didn't have a 'happy' childhood. By the time I was fifteen, I was hanging out with the thugs on the streets of Turkey, where I am from. By twenty, I was the leader of these thugs and I was moving us into a warehouse and off the streets. When I was twenty-five, I pretty much ran most of the underground crime in Turkey and was starting to branch out into other countries, I guess you could call me a mobster. I met your mother when I was twenty seven and I fell in love and then we found out she was pregnant. We were so excited and I watched her belly grow and I read all the books I could on pregnancy. We set up the nursery and were waiting not so patiently to meet you. Finally, it was time and your mother did a wonderful job while she was in labor. When you were finally born and they placed her on her chest, I was in complete awe of you and when the nurse took you to clean you of and weigh and measure you, I followed to watch you. The nurses handed you to me all wrapped in a blanket and I held you so close to my chest. Your brown beautiful eyes darted around and then you finally stared straight at me and I instantly fell in love with you."

At this point, my mother was softly crying, my father had a few tears running down his face, Pavel looked as he was trying to blink his tears away and I had tears streaming down my face and Dimitri's hand was softly rubbing my back. I got up and hugged my father and then my mother hugged me as well. I had been thinking about this for a while, so I asked my father "I have been thinking, what should I call you? Father, Dad or Abe?"

"You can call me whatever you feel comfortable with."

I cut him off and said "what about old man?"

"Well little girl" emphasizing little girl "In Turkey the word for father is Baba, you can call that if you're comfortable, but I understand if you're not ready yet since I have been out of your life for almost fifteen years."

"What did I call you when I was little?" I asked.

"You used to call me Baba" he replied.

"Then Baba it is" I said as I gave him a hug. He tightly hugged me and when he pulled back, he placed a kiss on the top of my head and one on each cheek. I went back to Dimitri and as soon as I sat down, his hand went straight to my back.

"So my business kept growing and growing and I started to have legitimate business as well. But with my illegal businesses, there were threats to Janine and yourself. When I started I had no family so they had no way to threaten me. So one day when you were three, we were all at Court. Pavel was with me and I was letting the other guardians that came with me have some relaxing time off. We were at Court, I stupidly felt we were safe, so I did not send a guardian with you and Janine. Then you and your mother went out and she was shot while she was holding you, so you went down with her. By the time help came, you were covered in blood. When Pavel and I were notified of what happened, we ran to the hospital and went straight to you. A nurse and a doctor were looking you all over and they couldn't find any gunshot wounds and determined it was all Janine's blood on you. I told the staff not to tell anyone you were alive. Pavel called to get our guardians to us and I picked you up and gave you the biggest and tightest hug ever and kissed you on your head and both cheeks. You used to giggle every time when I used to do that to you. I handed you over to Pavel who was going to take care of you while I checked on Janine. When I left your room our guardians were already at their post outside your room and Janine's room. I went to Janine and she was just about to go into surgery because thankfully the bullet hit her shoulder, she had lost some blood and the bullet did damage to her bones, muscles and tendons. I kissed her and whispered to her that you were fine and in the next room with Pavel. But that we were going with the pretense that you were killed and our plan was to sneak you out of the hospital. I kissed her as she was wheeled out to surgery. I went back to your room and Pavel had already ordered one guardian to get the car that had black tinted windows and park in the underground parking. Pavel gathered you up in a blanket and covered your face and left with you to get you home without being seen. I waited for your mother to get out of surgery and we discussed what we should do and your mother and I agreed that she and you would go away and when you turned four, we would enroll you in the academy. And it seemed to work, the threats stopped but unfortunately when you ran away with Princess Dragomir, it made big news in our world as well as with the underground enemies that I had. So those threats started coming back in and your mother and I started communicating on a frequent basis. Pavel and I hired more guardians specifically to find you. And we got close to finding you, however a Russian guardian found you and took you back to school. Your mother and I felt that was still the safest place for you, but then Spokane happened and again it became news and the threats kept coming in. Pavel and a few of the guardians were very good at tracing the people who had threatened you and we "showed" them why it was in their best interest to leave you alone. But during Pavel's research he came across some information that we were not prepared for. The strigoi Isaiah that you killed apparently had a following of other strigois. Pavel found information that there are strigoi that are hunting you down."

I looked at my father, then Pavel and then Dimitri who had his guardian mask on. However, I felt his hand go from my back to my shoulder as he pulled me closer and I was just sitting there numb and in shock.

Pavel was the first to break the silence. "Rose, your father and I feel that you are no longer safe at St Vladimir's. The strigoi know that you are there as well as the mobsters who have threatened you. And now for some unknown reason Lady Tasha Ozera is attacking you as well."

I looked at Dimitri and he gave me a nod and squeezed my shoulder as he pulled me even closer.

"Well, it's not unknown why Tasha is attacking me" I said.

"What reason does Lady Ozera have for attacking you?" Baba asked.

"Tasha is in love with Dimitri and I am in love with Dimitri and"

"And I am in love with Rose" Dimitri finished. I looked around the room, my mother had a shocked and angry look on her face. Baba was scrutinizing Dimitri and Pavel had his guardian mask on.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Plan

"Well that explains some things" Baba said "not to be too intrusive but when did this begin and how serious is it?"

"A while back we had a dance at school and Victor Dashkov kidnapped Lissa, he gave me a necklace which was a lust charm because he figured that Dimitri and I were attracted to each other. So when I knew that Lissa was kidnapped, I went to Dimitri and as soon as I saw him I started kissing him because of the lust charm. But Dimitri eventually figured out it was a lust charm and pulled the necklace off of me and then we were able to go and rescue Lissa. After that we tried to ignore our feelings for each other and we tried to fight it, but when Tasha compelled me to be scared of Dimitri, Eddie and Adrian, I hid under my bed from them. After I was found and Dimitri was assigned to protect me, we admitted how we felt about each other." I explained

"Tasha compelled you?" Babba said with increasing anger and I could see Pavel's anger rising.

"Rose and I have not discussed the extent of Tasha's compelling, I was not aware she was afraid of me, however I do need to inform you what led to Rose having Celeste and I as guardians. I am not sure how much Alberta informed you but Rose was becoming very distracted and Alberta and I were noticing it along with other guardians, her teachers and her friends. Alberta was increasing security throughout the campus and she placed cameras outside the senior novice female dorm rooms because there are not a lot of them and there is no longer a guardian on every floor".

Dimitri paused but then continued "Rose did not show up for her morning workout with me. So I went to her room and I could not find her. I contacted Alberta, who immediately notified all guardians and the Headmistress of Rose's absence. Due to her earlier behavior, Alberta and I were seriously concerned for her well-being. Her friends were made aware of her disappearance and were helping us search areas where they thought she might be. Lord Ivashkov and Novice Castile found Rose under her bed because Lord Ivashkov could see her aura."

I gave Dimitri a supporting look because I know it hurt him how I was found and knew my parents and Pavel were not going to like what he was going to say.

"They pulled her out and noticed she had a black eye and a split lip, Novice Castile picked her up with the intention of brining her to the infirmary. Rose became upset about going to the infirmary, so they brought her to me. I called Alberta and she brought Dr. Olendzki but Rose would not look at her. So Princess Vasalisa healed Rose's injuries and Alberta then assigned Celeste and I to guard Rose".

I looked at Baba whose eyes looked ice cold and Pavel had his guardian mask on but his eyes appeared just as cold.

Dimitri continued "Alberta called me to her office and we watched the video and saw Tasha talking to Rose and seemed to be compelling her and then Tasha went into the room with a Royal Moroi Jesse Zeklos. After about 30 minutes, Tasha then exited the room alone. Then 20 minutes later, Jesse Zeklos was pushed out of the room by Rose and it was evident that Rose had a black eye and a split lip. Rose had remembered a little of what happened, but when Lord Ivashkov compelled her to remember, Rose disclosed to me that Tasha had told her that she liked Jesse and that I hated Rose. Rose tried to fight the compulsion but Jesse tried to assault Rose sexually".

I heard a sharp intake of breath from my mother. Dimitri continued quickly "He was forcing himself on Rose, kissing her. And when Rose called it 'like waking up from a dream' and she tried to push Jesse off her, he punched her twice. Then last night, while we were in the matron's dorm, we heard Tasha outside Rose's door yelling to let her in and she had Jesse and another boy Ralf. We alerted Alberta and a guardian was assigned to watch each boy and two guardians for Tasha and Yuri was also assigned to Rose. Then at some point during the night Tasha escaped her two guardians but she was found and then had four guardians assigned to her."

Dimitri paused to let everyone absorb the information. My mother again had a shocked and angry look on her face but now the anger was directed and Tasha and Jesse. Baba was seething with anger and clenching and unclenching his fist and Pavel was out right angry.

Pavel asked "What else do you remember from Tasha's compulsion?"

"Pretty much what you know already. But I was going to tell Dimitri, that while I was in the dressing room I did tell Lissa what was going on including about Dimitri and me and I think that Tasha might have overheard us."

Dimitri stiffened next to me and I looked at him and said "Sorry, I didn't tell you sooner."

"It's okay; I would tell the world if it didn't mean putting you in more danger." Dimitri smiled at me.

Baba stood up and walked to look out of the window. My mother stood up and went over to my father and they were whispering to each other. Pavel looked at Dimitri and I and said "Alright, so this only emphasizes the fact that you are not safe at St Vladimir's. Rose, I'm sorry that you have friend's there that you will have to leave them behind."

"Thanks, but will I still be able to continue my training and become a guardian?" I asked.

"Yes, we intend to continue your training plus I would like to increase your training because I want you to have the skills to defend yourself from anyone, not just Strigoi. I think we can work out getting your promise mark from one of the schools. Your father has a warded and very well protected compound outside Baia, Russia and I think that might be the safest place for you right now." Pavel explained.

I felt Dimitri move next to me and I looked at him and then he turned to me and despite his guardian mask, I could see some excitement that we might go to his home town. So I felt now was the best time to make sure that Dimitri could be with me. So I asked Pavel "Will Dimitri be able to continue being my guardian and being my mentor and trainer? And if Celeste and Yuri wanted to continue guarding would that be a possibility?"

"Yes, Dimitri would be able to continue being your guardian. I've done research on him and since he is a blood master seven and he has been training with you, he is an ideal candidate. If he wants to take the position, we will discuss how to upgrade your training." Pavel stated.

I looked at Dimitri and he looked at me and said "Absolutely, I agree to be your guardian and trainer. I can resign from St Vladimir and then take a leave of absence."

"Dimitri, thank you, we will discuss your position and pay and you will find that Mr. Mazur is very generous in that area. You will be working directly under me in charge of Rose's protection. We can discuss upgrading her training a little later. As for Celeste and Yuri, I can offer you positions as well, if you like and again we can discuss pay at a later time."

I watched as Celeste and Yuri were looking at each other almost having the entire conversation through their eyes. Yuri spoke up and said "May we have some time to think about it, there are somethings Celeste and I have to discuss. And before we make any decisions, Celeste and I are in a relationship together, does that present any problems?"

Pavel replied "That is fine, thank you for telling me. Mr. Mazur and I do not have a problem with guardian relationships. There are a few in our ranks, as long as it does not interfere with your job."

At that point Baba and my mother sat down and Baba said "Sorry about leaving, I know that I have been out of your life for a while and maybe it's not my right yet as a father to be angry with Tasha and the two boys, but I do not like any woman put in that position. And I am thankful that Dimitri and your friends were there to protect you when your mother and I could not."

There was a knock on the door and one of the guardians answered the door and the hotel staff brought in an enormous amount of food. They cleaned up from the hors d'oeuvres and were setting up the table for dinner.

Baba started "Wonderful, dinner is here, why don't we all sit down to dinner and then we can retire to our rooms and rest for the night. We can meet back here for 8 am in the morning to discuss travel to Russia and just to let you know we do technically run on a human timetable not moroi , but obviously there are night shift for guardians which Pavel will work out. And I am sure that Pavel has offered you all positions in my guardian force?"

Everyone nodded at the same time. "Good, now let's eat" Abe said.

We sat around the table and talked about gossip or what is going on in the world. Anything except the threat on my life or Tasha or leaving for Russia. When I looked at Dimitri he gave me a nod as he understood I was ready to leave. He looked over to Celeste and Yuri and saw that they had finished eating. Dimitri stood up and then gave me a hand to stand up and said "Rose is tired, so I think we are going to retire for the night."

Everyone stood up and my mother gave me a hug and said "We can talk more tomorrow but I look forward to spending time with you to make up for the years we lost."

"Thanks, I would like that." I replied.

Baba gave me a hug and a kiss on the top of my head and one on each cheek. I couldn't help myself from smiling. He said "have a pleasant evening and I will see you in the morning."

Pavel gave me a hug and looked between Dimitri and I and said "Call me if you need anything. There will be two guardians outside your door all night."

"Okay, thank you Pavel."

We left Baba's suite and sure enough the guardians inside the suite had distributed themselves, two at our door and two at Baba's door.

We walked into the suite and Dimitri went straight to the room he was sharing with Celeste and I was a little sad. But then he came out of the room with his bag and said "Celeste and Yuri, you can take that room and I will be with Rose. Have a good night you two."

I said goodnight to them as well and Dimitri took my hand and led me to the suite, he closed the door and locked it. He threw his duffle bag on the bed and then he pulled me tight to his chest kissing the top of my head "How are you doing milaya?"

"I'm okay, how are you? You must be excited to see your family?"

"Yes, that was an extra bonus on top of being able to guard you and work on your training together."

I looked up at him and said "I'm so glad that Pavel said that you can stay with me."

Dimitri looked from my eyes to my lips and lowered his head and his lips were barely touching my lips and he said "Me too" as his lips crashed on mine. He swept his tongue against my bottom lip and I immediately opened my mouth to him. One of his hands went straight to my hair and the other one went to my lower back pushing me closer to him. When we broke apart to breathe, Dimitri put his forehead to mine and said "Let's get changed and get into bed. I want to hold you and we should talk."

"Okay" we broke apart and Dimitri grabbed his bag and went into the bathroom. I heard him take a quick shower. I was trying to decide whether to wear the pjs I had brought from school or if I should wear the one Dimitri had picked out. Plus I was wondering if we would finally have sex tonight especially after the dressing room incident. But I was nervous, not to have sex with Dimitri that I wanted. But Dimitri has slept with other women, so he had experience, what if I was bad at it, would he want to leave me then. Just then the bathroom door opened and Dimitri looked at me and said "What's wrong, you look nervous?"

I sighed of course he knew what I was thinking.

"Wear your old pajamas tonight. I just want to hold you tonight. I don't want you to feel nervous or pressured into making love with me" he said as he put his arms around me.

"I'm not nervous about making love with you, I desperately want to. I am just nervous about what if I suck in bed. I mean I know you've had sex before but what if I am really bad at it."

"Milaya, yes there have been other women before you and we can discuss that when you are ready, but I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. And when you love somebody as much as I love you, trust me the sex will be amazing. You just need to be open about what you like and don't like and I will guide you through it. But only when you're ready and we will go slowly, so you don't have to feel any pressure and I'll stop at any point if you are uncomfortable."

"Thanks Dimitri"

"No problem Roza, we are together now and that's all that matters" he said as he gave me the sweetest kiss. "Now go get changed" he said as he slapped my butt.

I took my old pjs and went into the bathroom and got myself ready for bed. When I came out Dimitri had organized all my bags from the bed and they were now on the floor. He had the comforter pulled down to the edge of the bed. He was on one side of the bed under the covers. He had a t-shirt and pj bottoms on and I knew it was for my benefit. But at the very least I hope he will lose the t-shirt before we fall asleep. He patted the spot next to him where the sheets were slightly pulled down for me. So I crawled in bed with my Russian god and he pulled me to him and said "Let's talk".


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Hold Me

Dimitri scooted down in the bed and turned on his side to face me. He had one arm out for me to rest my head on and the other was wrapped around my waist and his fingers had slipped underneath the tank top and he was drawing random patterns on my lower back.

"What do you want to talk about comrade?" I asked.

"I just want to see how are you feeling? You have been through a lot. Spokane and Mason, now your parents are in your life and finding out you are being hunted by humans, moroi and strigoi?"

"Yeah, that's a lot I guess. But having you here with me is a big help" I said looking up at him.

"I'm glad I can be here with you too and being together out and in the open is more than I could have ever imagined." Dimitri stated as he kissed me on my forehead.

"I love you" I said "Before you I didn't know love like this was possible."

"I know Roza, I feel the same way. I love you so much" he said as he gave me the sweetest kiss.

"I can't wait to meet your family. They sound wonderful after everything you have told me especially your Mama."

"I can't wait for you to meet them either, they are going to love you. I think you and Vika are going to be thick as thieves, I might need to watch out for two" Dimitri laughed.

"Have they ever met any of girlfriends before?" I asked cautiously.

"No, Roza, I never felt this serious with anyone. You will be the first to meet them. They are going to love you."

"How do you know they are going to love me?" I asked.

"I try to skype them at least once a week and when I first brought you back from Portland, I usually mentioned you. Then after a few months, they all just started asking me about you. They probably realized I was in love with you way before I realized it" Dimitri said with a big smile on his face.

"Really? Wait, but if we are together out in the open in Baia, won't that put your family in jeopardy? I can't let that happen" I started getting upset at the thought and started rambling "maybe we could go somewhere else or maybe you shouldn't come with me or"

"Roza, shhh, Roza"

"But Dimitri I can't put your family at risk, they are too important ..."

Dimitri shut me up the only way he knew would work was to kiss me. He kissed me hard and pulled me tight to his body and my hands pulled at his t-shirt to pull him close to me. But much to my disappointment he broke the kiss.

"We will figure it out Roza, we will make sure my family is safe. But you are not leaving my side whether you like it or not" Dimitri said as he smiled at me.

"Like it" I replied to him jokingly.

"Don't worry we will talk with Pavel and your father about your concern. Okay?"

"Okay, thanks, it would kill me if something happened to them because of me." I said.

Right then Dimitri's phone started to ring and he used his long arm to reach it on the bedside table. He had a weird look on his face and before I could ask him, he said "It's my family calling, they never call unless it's an emergency" Dimitri answered the phone and said "Privet?"

"Dimka, bring the girl to Baia, it will be the safest option for everyone."

The caller hung up and I said "Dimitri, who was that?"

"That was my babushka, remember how I told you she was like that fortune teller from Court?"

"Yeah"

"Well, I think that was her, telling me to bring you to Baia. Don't worry if she says its safe then its safe. But we will still address it with Pavel and your father."

Dimitri reached back over and placed his phone back on the bedside table. "How do you feel about leaving Lissa?"

"I don't know, a part of me knows that if I am in danger I will put her in more in danger. But I haven't been away from her in forever and not since I became shadow-kissed. I am a little worried about the darkness building up in her, I don't necessarily like taking it but I think I can handle it better than her. When the darkness gets to bad she used cut herself, at least I can go to the gym and beat the crap out of a dummy to get rid of it."

"It scares me when you take her darkness but I will be here for whatever you need. We need to check and make sure that your parents are aware that you are shadow-kissed. I don't know if Alberta let your mother know about it or not." Dimitri stated.

I sighed, why couldn't my life be easier.

"What Roza?"

"All I ever wanted was to be Lissa's Guardian. Not shadow kissed, chased by strigoi and a mobster's daughter."

"I know milaya, but I will be here every step of the way."

"But what if you get tired of my crazy life and realize you could have had a family? You are gorgeous, you could probably have any moroi or dhampir woman that you wanted."

Dimitri put his index finger on my lips and said "Stop Roza, I don't want any moroi, dhampir or human woman that isn't you. I won't get tired of your crazy life, if I wanted out it would have been when we first started training when you loved to push my buttons. But honestly, I was already too in love with you at that point to leave."

"So, have you ever been in love before?" I asked cautiously, not sure I wanted to hear his response.

"I have never felt the love I feel for you before. I did date a girl at St. Basil's and I thought I was in love with her at the time, but I now realize it was more strong caring then love." Dimitri took a breath and continued "She was my first."

"How old were you?"

"Sixteen, we were both juniors at the time. Ivan had gone home for the weekend so he left me his key because he had a suite all to his own. But it was all awkward and not really pleasurable for either of us the first time. We continued dating for about three months, but we sort of drifted apart after we both went home for the summer. When we returned for our senior year she started dating a moroi, which was fine by me because I really wanted to concentrate on training so I could guard Ivan."

"Do you keep in touch with her?" I asked worried about his answer.

"No, she died her first year out in a strigoi attack."

"I'm sorry, that must have been hard."

"It is what it is, that is the life of a guardian." Dimitri plainly stated.

"And were there others?"

"Yes, I had a few flings after I graduated and was guarding Ivan. I am not exactly proud of them, but that tends to be the only relationships that guardians have."

"Were they dhampir or were any of them moroi?" I asked trying to gently probe.

"They were all dhampir and no Tasha was never a person I was ever remotely attracted to. When Ivan and I were in Russia, Tasha would occasionally hang out with us. I always thought she was interested in Ivan, I had no idea she was interested in me until she made me that offer."

"Did you ever consider her offer?" I asked.

"For a second maybe, but I knew I could never be with her after I had met you. No one was ever going to measure up to you. And I was prepared to wait for you no matter how long it took" Dimitri said as he kissed my forehead, then my nose and then placed a soft kiss on my lips.

I sighed happily, my Russian god was all mine.

"So, how about you?" Dimitri asked.

I started blushing "Um, pretty much what you saw when you found Jesse and I in the moroi common room. That is the farthest I have ever gone."

"Roza, don't be embarrassed, you were also on the run for two years with Lissa. I kind of like that I will get to be your first when you are ready."

I couldn't find the words to respond so I kissed him instead. I took my hands that were on his chest and went up to his neck and into his hair as I held his head to mine. I swiped my tongue on his lower lip and he granted me entrance as I massaged his tongue with my own.

I pushed him on his back and straddled him as his hands went to my hips to hold me in place. I couldn't help myself from moaning and Dimitri started kissing me along my jaw to my earlobe where he lightly bit it. My hips jerked forward when he did that and I heard Dimitri groan as l felt him hardening beneath me.

"Dimitri, I need you" I moaned as I reached for the hem of his t-shirt.

"I know, baby, I know, I need you too. Are you sure?" he asked, his accent was so much thicker than usual and his chocolate brown eyes were almost black with lust.

"Yes, I'm sure. I want this with you" I moaned.

Dimitri sat up with me still straddling him and he pulled his shirt off and threw it over the side of the bed. I went back to kissing him and his hands went back to my hips as he guided me to grind on him. That sent a shock to my core and I could feel myself getting wet.

After a few minutes his hand slowly started up under my shirt till he met the swell of my breast and his thumbs swiped both my nipples. "Yes" I screamed as my head flew back and I grinded a little harder against him. Dimitri immediately attacked my neck when my head went back nipping and licking to soothe the bite.

I raised my arms up for Dimitri to rid me of my shirt, signaling to Dimitri I was ready. I felt completely safe with him. I knew Dimitri would not do anything unless he had my permission and he would never pressure me. He pulled my shirt over my head and threw it in the general direction of where he threw his. He slowly pushed me back on the bed so I was on my back and he was hovering over me.

Dimitri kissed down my neck to my clavicle ending up in the valley between my breast and he looked up to me with questioning eyes and I nodded yes. He kissed over to my right breast sucking, licking then biting softly as his hand found my left breast squeezing it then ultimately rolling my nipple between his thumb and fore finger. I couldn't help but moan and arch my back into him. He slowly kissed his way to my left breast repeating his actions as I was holding his head to my chest.

After he spent a fair amount of time devoted to my breasts, he kissed his way back up to my lips. As he kissed me passionately he rocked his erection into my hip which caused his leg to also rock against my core giving me the friction I needed.

He kissed his way down my neck, between my breast, over my abs and down to the top of my panties and pj bottoms. He looked back up to me asking my permission. I nodded yes to him as he pulled both my pj bottoms and panties over my hips, past my knees and off my ankles. He looked at my panties and said "so exited Roza" and then he bunched them up and brought them to his nose and inhaled deeply.

"You smell so good Roza" Dimitri groaned. I thought I would be disgusted by that but it turned me on even more.

I was completely naked in front of my Russian god and he was looking at me with such love and devotion. I thought I would be embarrassed my first time completely naked in front of him, but I wasn't, it excited me.

Dimitri kissed back up my legs alternating between each leg. As he reached my inner thighs, I was moaning and trying to move my pussy towards his mouth where I desperately needed him. But with a smirk on his face, he skipped my pussy and reversed his path kissing my abdomen and up my neck until he met my lips.

"You doing okay Roza?" he asked.

"Yes, better than okay" I said breathlessly "But you must feel left out. Teach me?"

Dimitri moved from hovering over me to resting on his side and he pulled me onto his side so I was facing him.

"Are you sure about this Roza? We can take this at your own pace."

"Yes, I want to touch you!" I said as I started kissing him down his neck to his chest and then I repeated his actions and sucked, licked and lightly bit his right nipple. He hissed at my actions and his hips bucked into me. "I take it you like that" I said.

"You have no idea how good that feels milaya." Dimitri stated.

I gave him a shy smile as I was happy to be giving him as much pleasure as he was giving me. I moved over to his left nipple and repeated the same actions and received the same response.

Dimitri grabbed my face and kissed me passionately. When we broke apart to breathe, he looked at me and I nodded at him. He took my hand and guided it to his cock. He placed it on the outside of his flannel pj pants. He put my hand flush against his erection and put his hand over mine and slowly helped apply pressure while moving my hand up and down. I couldn't believe how big he felt and his cock seemed to be getting longer and harder under my touch. I looked up to Dimitri's face, his eyes were closed and he was biting his bottom lip.

After a few minutes, I pushed him on his back and slowly kissed him down his neck, down his chest and his abs where his muscles were so defined. When I reached his flannel pants, I looked up at him and he nodded. I put my thumbs in his waist band and pulled down both his flannel pants and his boxer briefs. As soon as I got them past his hips, his erection sprang free and there was a drip of pre-cum on it. I pulled his pants and briefs all the way down his legs and once they were off, I threw them off the bed. I started kissing him back up his legs and once I got close to his cock, he grabbed me and pulled me up to kiss him.

We were still both on our sides but I was slightly leaning on my back and Dimitri was slightly hovering over me.

"Dimitri" I said when we broke the kiss and he started sucking at the pulse point behind my ear. I thought I would be daring and I took one of my hands and lightly traced a path down his chest to his abdomen. I could feel his muscles tightening as I touched him. When I got to his cock, I wrapped my hand around his erection. It was so hard bit the skin was so soft. As I started to pump him up and down, he hissed and bit my ear lobe which caused me to groan.

"Am I doing it right?" I asked Dimitri.

"Yes" he moaned. He took his hand and covered mine showing me how much pressure to use and how to pump it up and down. Once he felt that I got the hang of it, he took his hand away. I could hear and feel his breath picking up and he was gasping for air, while I pumped him.

After a few minutes, his hand came back to mine and he stilled my actions. I looked up at him and asked him "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, on the contrary, you are doing everything right, but I won't last much longer if you keep this up."

"But Dimitri, I want you."

"I want you to Roza, but I need to prepare you for me. I am sure you are tight and I am a little bit bigger that average male. I want to do my best to make this pleasurable for you. There is going to be pain especially when I break your hymen, but I want to minimize it as much as possible."

"Comrade, I don't think you need to worry about my hymen." I said as I looked at him.

His face went from angry to confused "What do you mean Roza?" he asked cautiously.

I giggled a little at his facial expression and decided to put him out of his misery as I said "When I was eight years old, I was playing around on the balance beam and I fell and I still remember the pain today. I was also freaking out because there was a little blood in my underwear. Alberta explained to me what had happened.

I watched the relief come over Dimitri's face as he said "Oh, poor Roza, but we will still go slow. Not to toot my own horn, but I am a little bit bigger than average and you will feel stretched. You need to be open with me and let me know if it is too painful or if you need a break. I love you and I don't want to hurt you."

Dimitri kissed me passionately and he traced his index finger down my neck, between my breasts and past my abdomen. At first his hand just cupped my pussy, letting my get used to him being there. He then used his fingers to separate my lips as my breathing started picking up. Dimitri was kissing my neck when his thumb found my clit and started drawing circles around it.

"Oh my God, Dimitri" I said trying not yell as I didn't want to alert anyone as to what we were doing.

"I take it you like that" Dimitri said while his mouth was still near my neck where he had been kissing me.

"Yes" was all I could get out as his thumb was assaulting my clit. And then without warming he slid a finger in me. I just made animalistic noises at that point as I was incapable to speaking anymore. I could feel Dimitri laughing against my neck.

"So wet for me Roza" he said.

"Uh huh" which took all my effort to say.

He then slid a second finger inside me as he continued to circle my clit. I started rocking my pussy against his hand as I was panting. I had no idea I could feel this good. Everything was tensing up and I needed a release.

"Dimitri" I moaned.

He responded by slipping a third finger into me and said "Cum for me Roza" he said as he attacked my right breast. And cum I did, I exploded, and my pussy clamped down on Dimitri fingers. He kept up his ministrations helping me to ride out my orgasm. I was trying to slow down my breathing when I felt the loss of Dimitri's fingers and I opened my eyes to see him licking his fingers.

"Mmmm, Roza, you taste so good." He was hovered over me again with his lips so close to me without actually touching mine.

"Do you want to taste yourself, Milaya, you taste wonderful" Dimitri stated.

"I don't know" I honestly answered him. If anyone else had ever suggested, I probably would have been disgusted, but because it was Dimitri, I was a little turned on.

"Trust me, you taste divine" he said and I gave him a slight nod and he kissed me slowly and deeply. I was surprised that the taste didn't repulse me and I moaned into his mouth.

"How are you feeling?" Dimitri asked me. I could still feel his erection pressing into my hip it was hard and smooth at the same time.

"Wonderful" I responded to him with a blissed out look.

"We don't have to go any farther if you don't want to" Dimitri said.

"I need you Dimitri, please" I whined.

"As long as you are sure" Dimitri stated "You can tell me to stop at any time if you want to."

Dimitri was still hovering over me holding some of his weight on his elbows which were on either side of my head. He shifted himself on to one arm as he grabbed his cock and ran it along my slit to coat it in my natural lubricants. He slowly pushed the head of his cock in as he brought his arm back up to support his weight. He was watching me intently looking for any sign that I was uncomfortable, but he felt so good I knew he wasn't going to find anything.

He slowly rocked his way in and out, slowly moving in more with each stroke. Eventually I felt his sack hit me and I realized he was all the way in. It didn't hurt, but he was right, I did feel stretched, but it was a good kind of stretched. I looked up at him and was tense because he was trying to hold back, so as not to hurt me.

"All good?" he asked.

"Yes" I moaned "You can move faster."

He started to pick up the pace slowly at first. He would pull almost all the way out and then push back in slowly. But after a few minutes, I said "Harder, Dimitri, faster."

Dimitri really started moving at that point, pulling almost all the way out and slamming back into me and I loved every second of it. We were both incapable of speaking at that point. I had my head turned to the side panting and moaning and Dimitri's head was to the side of my head in my hair. His mouth was right near my ear and he was panting and making little grunting noised which was spurring me on.

I braced my legs against the bed and started to buck up to meet Dimitri's hips stroke for stroke. Dimitri realizing I was close and his movements were getting sloppy meaning he was close as well. He snaked one of his hands between us and rubbed my clit. It probably only took fifteen seconds before I exploded around him, milking his cock and then I felt his hips still as he released into me.

After what seemed like an eternity, which in reality was probably 30 seconds, our orgasms subsided and Dimitri put most of his weight on me which I loved the feeling of. The only sound that filled the room was our heavy breathing as we came down from our high.

Dimitri pulled out of me and I immediately missed the feeling. He got up off the bed and I heard the water in the sink briefly turn on. He walked back in the room and used the warm washcloth to clean me up from our love making.

He threw the washcloth back in the bathroom and crawled back into the bed and rested on his back as he pulled me to his side with my head on his chest as he held me tightly.

"Thank you Roza, for trusting me to be your first."

"I can't imagine doing that with anyone else" I replied.

"I'm sorry that it wasn't romantic as I would have liked it to be. I would have loved to maybe go out to dinner and dancing and then maybe stayed somewhere romantic" Dimitri said while not meeting my eyes.

"Dimitri" I said as I pulled his face towards me with both hands and made sure he was looking at me in the eye. "It doesn't matter where it happened as long as it was the two of us. And it was romantic, you made me feel so cherished and loved. I will remember this for the rest of my life."

And that is how we fell asleep, in a lover's embrace.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The next morning

I woke up the next morning to kisses on my head and fingers combing thru my hair. I smiled as I remember what happened last night and that I was waking up in Dimitri's arms.

"Morning Roza" Dimitri said in a sleep laden voice.

"Morning Comrade" I said as I looked up at him.

"I think I could get used to waking up with you at my side naked." Dimitri said.

"I could too." I said. I looked at the clock on the bed side table and noticed it was still early and we had some time before we were all meeting for breakfast.

I straddled Dimitri and started kissing him. He had one hand in my hair and one on my lower back pulling me to him. When we broke apart to breathe Dimitri looked at me and asked "Are you sure you are not too sore?"

"Never" I replied as my lips crashed down on his. I started grinding my hips on Dmitri as his hands fell to my hips to guide me. It didn't take long for his erection to start growing and I knew the minute he felt me getting wetter as he started to moan and pressed me even harder into him.

Dmitri reached down between us and grabbed his cock rubbing my juices on it before placing it at my entrances as he guided me down onto him. We both groaned at the same time and we quickly set a fast pace. Last night was all about making love and showing each other how much we loved each other, this time, it much more passionate.

"I know we have only made love once, but I think I am addicted to you" I said.

"Me too Roza, I don't think I could ever get enough of you."

With me on top, that left Dimitri's hands to wander all over my body and he soon settled on my breasts palming both of them at the same time. As I was grinding on Dimitri's cock he was bucking from below and he was hitting me deep inside. I was trying to keep my moaning at a decent level as to not alert Yuri and Celeste what we were doing. I only hoped that my room in Russia was far from everyone else so we wouldn't be overheard.

As I was getting closer to my release, my movement was getting sloppy. Dimitri realized this at licked his thumb and he circled my clit and used his other hand to guide me. It didn't take long for me to explode clamping down on Dimitri's cock, which led to his own release. I slumped on top of him as he gently rubbed my back and kissed my hair.

Shortly after we heard an excited yell from Celeste across the hall as Dimitri and I looked at each other and broke out into a fit of giggles. I guess we weren't the only ones taking advantage of the early morning.

As we were coming down from our high I asked Dimitri "So are you going to be sneaking in my bedroom every night to make sure I am 'safe and well-guarded'?"

"Absolutely, you can never be too careful and the shower can be a hazardous area as well." Dimitri said with a smirk.

Dimitri picked me up and carried me into the bathroom. He set me down in front of the shower and he opened the door turning the water on. Once he adjusted the temperature, Dimitri took my hand and led me into the shower.

He got my hair wet and then took my shampoo and was massaging it in and it felt so good. As I rinsed my hair out, Dimitri put my body wash on a wash cloth and started washing me down.

I put conditioner in my hair while Dimitri washed his hair. I started washing him with the wash cloth when he said "Let me wash myself, otherwise we won't ever make it out of the shower."

I rinsed my hair reluctantly got out of the shower as Dimitri rinsed himself off. I dried myself off then wrapped the towel around me. Dimitri toweled himself off and wrapped his towel around his waist as I drooled over his body. I hopped up on the counter as Dimitri got out his stuff to shave. I watched intently as he put his shaving cream on.

"What?" he asked as he realized I was staring.

"Nothing, I've just never seen a guy shave before" I said shyly as it made me a tad embarrassed as to the lack of my world experience.

Dimitri grabbed my face and kissed me with a full face of shaving cream. I laughed and pushed him away. He threw me a towel to wipe my face off as he started to shave. Once he was done he grabbed my hand and first he kissed my palm and then he brought it up to his face.

"Smooth enough?" He asked me.

"I'm not sure" I said with a hint of mischief.

His lips crashed down on me and after a few minutes he pulled back and asked "Soft enough?"

"Yes" I responded still dazed from his kiss. He put his aftershave on and I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. Unexpectedly, Dimitri threw me over his shoulder and carried me back to the bedroom dropping me on the bed. I laughed as I bounced on the bed. He leaned over me putting almost all his weight on me, then kissed me on the nose and got up and went to his duffle bag to get dressed.

I sighed as I missed his warmth and weight on me. I went to my bags and pulled out the red lacy bra and panties to wear. Once they were on I heard Dimitri groan "Roza".

"See something you like comrade?" I asked as I wiggled my hips.

"Everything! But please put some clothes on if you want me to survive a meeting with your parents and Pavel."

I laughed "Well, it's all yours tonight!"

"Not helping Roza" Dimitri sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose.

I put on a pair of jeans, a tank top, zipped up hoodie and my boots. Dimitri looked good in his dark jeans and a dark knit sweater. I went into the bathroom to put on a little bit of makeup as Dimitri came up behind me and his arms circling my waist.

"Beautiful" he said as he kissed my neck.

Dimitri and I walked out to the living area where Celeste and Yuri were waiting.

"Morning" I said to them and they repeated it back. We went over to my parent's room and the hotel staff was already there putting out breakfast.

"Morning Mom, Baba and Pavel" I said as we walked in.

"Morning everyone" Baba said "Why doesn't everyone grab some food and sit down at the table and we can discuss everything."

Once we were all seated, Pavel handed Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri folders. "Inside you will find a contract with salary information, review it and let me know if you have any questions. The plan for today is after breakfast we are going back to St. Vladimir's so Rose and Dimitri can pack and Celeste and Yuri as well if you decide to take our offer."

Yuri spoke "Celeste and I talked last night and we both agree we would like to continue to guard Rose."

"Thank you" I said to Celeste and Yuri as I gave them both a big smile.

Pavel continued "Rose, your parents will get copies of your medical records from the infirmary and then they will talk with Headmistress Kirova to discuss the best way to continue your education. We will all meet up at Guardian Petrov's office to have Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri resign from the academy and then we will fly out after that."

Dimitri spoke up first "Abe, Rose will need her medication to fly, can you pick some up at the infirmary when you get her records?"

"Why do you need medication to fly Rose?" my mother asked.

I looked at Dimitri quickly and he gave me a nod so I said "Because I am shadow kissed, whenever I am outside of the wards I get intense headaches and I see black orbs around me, sometimes I see the faces of people who have died."

Baba spoke up "I have heard about being shadow kissed but I not sure I really understand it well."

"When I was younger, I was in a car accident with Lissa's family. Her parents and brother Andre died and technically I did as well, but Lissa healed me with spirit. So now I am bonded to her, I can go inside her head if I concentrate hard enough, but if she has strong emotions I can get pulled in. Plus when she uses her magic she builds up darkness that can seep into me and causes rage in me. We haven't figured it all out yet, we are sort of learning as we go."

"Okay, I will get someone on that to start researching information" Abe said.

"Will I have time to say goodbye to my friends before we leave?" I asked.

Baba answered "Of course, it's still early in the moroi night, why don't you text them and have them go to the guest room your mother and I were sharing. Tell them to meet at 4pm and we will clear it with the headmistress so they won't get in trouble for being out."

"Thank you Baba" I started "and Mom and Pavel, I appreciate everything you're doing for me."

My mom responded "Rosemarie, we would do anything for you and I wish we would have made different choices back then."

"It's okay, I never would have met Dimitri, Lissa and all my other friends. I can't imagine them not in my life." I said.

Pavel said "Why doesn't everyone go back to their room and pack and we will meet downstairs in about 30 minutes to go back to St Vladimir's, the cars should be here shortly. Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri you will be in the third SUV with Rose. I would like to be ready to fly before the sun goes down."

"Wait, I don't have a passport." I said panicking.

"It's a private plane Rose, you won't need one. But we will get you one for the future, just in case, but I doubt you will ever need one." Baba said.

"Why?" I asked not following him.

"Because I have a fleet of private planes, all different sizes depending on the need for the trip." Baba explained.

"Fuck me" I said.

"Language" Dimitri said shaking his head.

"Rosemarie" my mother said.

"What" I laughed as I looked at Baba who was laughing with me and winked at me.

Dimitri said "Alright Rose, let's go get you packed."

We walked back to the suite and Dimitri and I went into our room. Being Mr. Tidy, Dimitri went to work quickly, he emptied both of our bags. He put all our dirty clothes in one bag and then we went to work folding my new clothes and putting them in the other bag. I pulled out the red corset, holding it up for Dimitri "So….."

I watched as his eyes turned black with lust and a big smile came across his face as he said "Can't wait to see you in that."

I laughed at him and we put all the lingerie at the bottom of my bag to hide it from prying eyes and used some of the shopping bags to put my casual clothes and workout clothes in. Plus I had my three dressy outfits in a garment bag and I frowned and looked at Dimitri and asked "do you think I will ever be able to wear theses?"

Dimitri walked over to me, placed the garment bag on the bed and pulled me to his chest and looked me in the eye "Of course you will be able to wear them, it's at least two months away, we will work out a way to get you back here to celebrate with your friends."

"Thanks Dimitri" I said as I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Dimitri went in to the bathroom and collected all our toiletries. I took a quick look around to make sure we didn't forget anything. We went out into the living area and saw that Yuri had gotten the hotel's luggage cart, not that we had a ton of stuff but then we didn't have to carry everything.

We made it downstairs and found three SUVs, we went to the third one as Yuri was loading all our bags into the back. My parents came out shortly after and got into the second SUV. Pavel walked over to us and said "Guardian Adams, who is in the driver's seat and Guardian Smith who is in the passenger side will be driving you back and will wait while you pack your belongings and will take them to the plane which is waiting at the academy's airstrip. Guardian Franks and Guardian Drozdov in the first SUV will guard Rose while everyone packs. "

With that, Dimitri and I got into the SUV and sat in the way back of the SUV and Celeste and Yuri sat in the middle. It was an uneventful but long ride back to campus and due to our activities last night it didn't take long for me to drift off to sleep. I woke to Dimitri kissing my hair "Roza, we are at back on campus"

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around and saw we were outside the guardian dorms and Dimitri's duster was laid over me like a blanket. "Thanks Comrade" I said as I gave his duster back.

"Anytime Roza, I figured we would pack my room as it shouldn't take long and then we can pack up your room."

It was around 12pm, the middle of the moroi night. I checked my phone and saw that everyone had responded to my text to meet at 4pm to say goodbye. We got out of the SUV and Guardian Franks and Guardian Drozdov introduced themselves and they followed Dimitri and I as Celeste and Yuri went to their own rooms to pack. Once we got to Dimitri's room, the two guardians stayed outside at the door. We had grabbed a few empty boxes from downstairs and Dimitri pulled out a suitcase and I asked Dimitri "Where do you want me to start?"

"Can you empty my drawers and just place them on the bed and then I can pack them up." Dimitri said as he grabbed his clothes on hangers and a few pair of shoes. I was impressed as I watched Dimitri pack, he was so organized and it was like watch a game of tetris.

Once I had emptied his drawers, he pointed to his bookshelf and asked if I could get his books as well as the pictures of his family on his bed side table. Once he was done with his clothes he took his suitcase off the bed and then he took of the quilt that his family had made him and folded it and placed it in the box with his pictures and books. He looked around to make sure he didn't miss anything and then we left. He gave the box to the guardians waiting in the SUV, Celeste and Yuri were there as well. We all walked to the novice dorms. We went to the suite we were currently staying in, Dimitri packed the few items he had in his bedroom, and he slipped a couple of books into his duster that I assumed was for the plane ride to Russia. We went over to Celeste and Yuri who were finishing getting Celeste packed. Dimitri still had room in his suitcase so he was folding the clothes that I had here before moving over to my old dorm room.

Celeste and Yuri were going to check to make sure that the suite was empty. I brought my gym bag and school bag which had been packed from the other night and I looked around my old dorm room and while there wasn't much, it still seemed daunting to pack it all up. Dimitri sensing my feelings said "Milaya, let's figure out what you really need and then we can pack everything into boxes and I am sure Alberta can ship them or we can keep things here and we can come back later. It's not like they are hurting for novice dorm rooms."

"True" I responded. I went to my closet and looked at my clothes I asked Dimitri "What is the weather like in the artic wasteland like 200 degrees below zero?" as I winked at him.

"It's still winter and we use the Celsius scale so you better get used to it. We can pack your summer clothes in boxes for now."

Since Dimitri was the expert packer, I went thru my closet and pulled out my warmest clothes throwing them on the bed letting him fold them. We filled up Dimitri's suitcase as Yuri and Celeste showed up and they took Dimitri's bag to the cars. Dimitri asked them to grab a few boxes on their way back.

My suitcase was at the top of my closet and as I stretched to try to reach it wondering how I had gotten it up there in the first place, I felt Dimitri's warm body behind me as he reached around me and grabbed my suitcase.

"Thanks" I said as I turned to my workout clothes, since I had gotten new clothes on our trip, I did a quick check and threw out anything that was stretched out, had tears or holes in them. I gave Dimitri the rest. Next I gave Dimitri my pajamas and bras and panties, I could tell he wanted to make comments, but the fact that we were expecting Celeste and Yuri back shortly and the door was open so the other guardians could hear, he kept his comments to himself.

Dimitri filled my suitcase and gym bag with all the clothes I was going to take to Russia. I grabbed the photos I had hanging on my walls of my friends so I could bring them with me and placed them in one of the pockets of my back pack. I looked at Dimitri and asked "What do you think I should bring for school stuff?"

"Just bring your stuff for your current classes and we will figure out the rest from there." Dimitri stated. He started folding my summer clothes as Celeste and Yuri returned with a few boxes. Celeste offered to pack my bathroom and I handed her a backpack that I no longer used for that. Yuri just relaxed on my bed as he seemed slightly uncomfortable being in and packing up a teenage girl's room.

Celeste came out with everything packed up as Dimitri had packed up the rest of my clothes. He taped it up and put his home address on it as we didn't know the address of where we would be.

"Anything else Milaya?"

"No, I think that is it." It was weird my entire life since I was four was packed up in less than an hour. "Wait, where's Pavel?"

"He's in my bag Roza" Dimitri reassured me.

Yuri spoke up "Pavel?"

"Yes, Pavel gave me a stuffed dog when I first came here and apparently I named it Pavel."

We brought the rest of my stuff to the SUV as Baba's guardians went to bring it to the plane and then we headed to Alberta's office. It was about 2:30pm by the time we reached her office, she looked exhausted as it was technically the middle of the night.

"Rose" she called as she came around to give me a hug "I can't believe your leaving."

"I know me either" I said as I was trying to blink back tears. Alberta had been my surrogate mother since I was four.

"And you are taking three of my best guardians." She said attempting to look stern but failing miserably.

"Sorry" was all I could say.

"Your parents are finishing up with Headmistress Kirova, but while we are waiting I have papers for the three of you to fill out so that you can resign from your posts here at the academy. I spoke with Guardian Croft and he said if you desire to return to a post under him instead of private duty, you will just need to ring court and they will provide you with the correct documentation for taking a leave of absence and then reinstatement when you are ready."

Just as Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri finished up the paperwork, Pavel and my parents walked in. Alberta went over to my mother and gave her a big hug and she also hugged Abe which shocked me. Pavel introduced himself as he shook her hand. Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri stood up giving up their chairs for my parents.

"Rosemarie, we have your medical and school records just in case we need them. Here are your pills for the plane ride. Dr. Olendzki suggested that you take one before take-off and if you need more relief you can take a second one." Mom said as she handed me a pill bottle as I gave it to Dimitri to put in his duster pocket.

"Rose, we spoke with Headmistress Kirova and it was her suggestion that your teachers in your non-combat classes will record their lectures for you and you will be doing your coursework long distance over email. And best case scenario, you will come back here for your trials and final exams, then you can participate in getting your promise mark, graduation and the senior ball." Baba stated.

I couldn't help the smile that came across my face until Baba continued "But if we feel it is not safe for you we will have to come up with alternative plans."

"That sounds fair" I said until I dawned on me "wait, does that mean I still have to sit through Stan's boring lectures!"

"Yes Rose you do" Dimitri said from behind me as he chuckled at my realization.

"I don't know what you are laughing at Comrade, you are going to be right there next to me as I watch it." I smirked and raised both eyebrows at him as Dimitri's face dropped as he realized what I said but the rest of the room broke out laughing.

Just as we were getting ready to say goodbye to Alberta and head back to guest accommodations to say goodbye to me friends, Alberta's phone rang. She listened to the speaker on the other side of the phone her facial expressions went from happy to worry.

"Lock down the campus now!" Alberta yelled into the phone as she pressed a big red button near her desk. The red buttons were located throughout the academy usually in case of a strigoi attack, but seeing how the sun was out, it was not strigoi attack.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Attack

"Lock down the campus now!" Alberta yelled into the phone as she hit the red button near her desk.

Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri were instantly at my side as Alberta said "Tasha is missing, the cabin she was staying in is on fire and the four guardians watching her were killed."

We then heard the overhead recording about the campus being locked down, while it was the middle of the moroi night and the only people out were guardians, they were responsible for locking and guarding doorways of the dorms of students, teachers, guardians and guest quarters.

Pavel was already communicating with Abe's guardians, instructing them to get the plane ready for take- off and authorizing deadly force if Tasha attempted to get on the plane to escape. He called for two of the SUVs to be outside of the administrations building and wait for our arrival.

All of a sudden I was pulled into Lissa's head due to the panic of the alarm. She was already awake because she was getting ready to meet me to say goodbye.

"Christian, what is going on?" Lissa asked.

"I don't know Liss, but we should be safe here you have two guardians plus Tasha and I will protect you." Christian said as he embraced Lissa.

"It can't be Strigoi, the suns still out." Lissa said looking around frantic. I felt Lissa ask through the bond 'Rose what's happening, can you call me?"

I watched as Tasha faced Christian and Lissa and looked straight into Lissa's eyes and said "Rose, you have two minutes to come to Lissa's suite with my Dimka. Once Dimka and I are safely off campus I will let the Princess go. If you are not here in two minutes, I will set your precious Princess on fire."

Lissa looked down at Tasha's hands and she had fire balls in each hand.

Christian stepped in front of Lissa and yelled "What the fuck Aunt Tasha!"

"Christian get out of the way, I love you but Dimka and I are destined to be together, that blood whore has corrupted his mind and the sooner everyone realizes that, the better, and everyone can get on with their lives." Tasha stated.

"Tasha, don't do this, I love you, but I love Lissa more, don't make me fight you." Christian said as he stood protectively in front of Lissa and he had fire balls in each of his hands.

"Christian, you would fight me even though I saved you from your parents? I realize that Lissa is potentially the next in line for Queen, but there are other royal women out there. In a few years, you will realize that she was just a silly school yard crush."

"Roza" Dimitri said as he was standing in front of me with his hands on my shoulders. I was trying to get out of Lissa's head so I could let everyone know what was going on, but Lissa's emotions were so extreme I couldn't get out. But I was able to hear Dimitri and speak with him.

"Tasha is in Lissa's room and she says if you and I are not there in two minutes she is going to set Lissa on fire. And that once you and her are safely off campus, then she will release Lissa. Christian is also there and he is standing in front of Lissa trying to protect her, both Christian and Tasha have flames in their hands.

Alberta immediately tried calling Guardian Emil and Guardian Andrews who were guarding Tasha. There was no answer from Guardian Andrews but Guardian Emil finally answered on the fourth ring sounding out of it. Alberta had it on speaker, "Emil, are you with the Princess?"

"I am outside her door, someone hit me on the head from behind, I must have blacked out. Her door is locked. I don't know where Guardian Andrews is." We could hear Emil banging on the door calling for the Princess.

"Emil, Tasha Ozera is in the Princess's room threatening to burn her to death and Christian Ozera is also in there protecting the Princess. Hold on I am sending guardians to you."

Alberta spoke into her walkie talkie "All available guardians to Princess Dragomir's room, do not enter and wait for further instructions."

I was finally able to extricate myself from Lissa's head and I started bolting for the door. At the same time, Dimitri wrapped his arms around my waist preventing me from leaving. "Comrade, let me go, Lissa needs me." I tried to run to the door so I could save Lissa. I should have known it was stupid idea since Dimitri, Celeste, Yuri, Pavel and at least 4 of Abe's guardians were outside and I probably would not have made it past all of them. But I needed to do something, as soon as I took another step Dimitri's arms were locked around me, his chest to my back. Pavel, Celeste and Yuri immediately stepped in front of me just in case I got out of Dimitri's hold.

"Let me go!" I screamed and when Dimitri didn't let me go I brought my chin to my chest and threw it backwards hitting him. Due to his freakishly tall height, I only managed to hit him in the chest. I heard a grunt from him, meaning I had been somewhat successful but he still did not loosen his hold on me. Since my arms were immobile in Dimitri's hold, I tried to kick at anything behind me, but Dimitri had anticipated this and elevated me slightly off the ground. This meant that because I didn't have one leg on the ground, I had no anchor so the kick with my other leg was much weaker.

"Dimitri, let me go, you are killing Lissa." It was a low blow and I knew it but I needed to get to Lissa no matter what. I could always apologize later if we all made it out together.

"Roza, you can't go, Tasha has lost it. Even if you went there and I went with Tasha there is no guarantee that Tasha won't still try to kill both you and the Princess and possibly even Christian or me. She is not thinking logically, let the guardians who are trained do their job."

I was still struggling against Dimitri, stupidly strong Russian god. Pavel spoke up "Rose, Dimitri is right, there is no way of knowing what she will do, she is unstable".

"Rose" Dimitri yelled while he was restraining me from the back to keep me from running to Lissa's dorm.

"Roza! I know you want to go to Lissa but you can help more by being inside her head and relaying what is going on and where everyone is located in the room so Alberta can relay it to the guardians outside her door."

I looked up and saw Alberta with her phone in her hand and nodding as she agreed with Dimitri.

I stopped struggling and Dimitri cautiously started to lessen his hold on me but his arms were still around me in case I tried to bolt.

"I'm okay" I said as I went into one of the chairs to concentrate on Lissa. Because of her heightened emotions it wasn't hard to get back into her head. Just before I did, I saw Dimitri kneel in front of me and place his hands on my arms for support. When I went into Lissa's head I could feel everyone staring at me in amazement as no one had seen this happen except Dimitri and maybe Celeste and Yuri.

Once I was in Lissa's head, everyone was still in the same position, Christian was in front of Lissa and he had fire balls in his hands. I knew how accurate his aim was as he liked to throw them occasionally at me. I was trying to relay the information as best I could, I had only done it once before, during Lissa's kidnapping on the night of the lust charm. But Dimitri and I never talked about it so I am not sure how well I did in communicating while in Lissa's head.

Tasha was still in her same place, maybe 15 feet away from Christian. She spoke in Lissa's direction, but it was really directed at me "Rose, you and Dimka have 30 seconds to come through that door or your precious princess with be scarred for life, if she lives that long."

"Tasha, don't make me choose between Lissa and you. I love you both, but Lissa is my love, my life and my future and I will always choose her over you." Christian stated.

"You would choose the whiney Princess over me, after I saved your life when your parents tried to turn you Stigoi?" Tasha screamed.

In as calm a voice as he could muster in the current situation, Christian said "Aunt Tasha, I am forever grateful for everything you did for me and every sacrifice you have made, but it is time for me to make my own decisions. And if that means following Lissa to Leigh, then Court with the possibility of her becoming Queen, then that is what I am going to do. But you will have to destroy me first if you want to get to LIssa!"

As I was attempting to relay the conversation, I vaguely heard Dimitri ask me where in the room Tasha was and where Lissa and Christian were in relationship to the door.

"Tasha is to the left of the door near Lissa's desk about 5 feet from the door. Lissa and Christian are on the other side of her bed near her window about 10 feet away from the door."

I could vaguely hear Alberta relaying the information. Christian and Tasha continued staring at each other, when Tasha looked at Lissa and said "Time's up Rose, I always knew you were a coward and once my Dimka realizes that you let Lissa become scarred for life or worse killed. He will leave you and run straight into my arms. If you are lucky, maybe I will send Jesse and Ralf to pay you a visit."

All of a sudden, chaos broke out as Christian and Lissa realized that the attack against me was all Tasha's doing. Tasha was raising up her arm to throw a fireball at Christian and Lissa. But Christian was faster sending one towards Tasha and at the same time, he pulled Lissa with him to the floor where they were hidden behind the bed.

While this was going on, the door to Lissa's room was kicked in and I heard a gunshot ring out.

"Lissa" I screamed as I was pushed out of her head and I came back to Alberta's office with Dimitri still kneeling in front of me.

"Oh my God, Comrade, what have I done? I let Lissa get killed. I got pushed out of her head." I screamed at him.

Dimitri looked straight into my eyes "Roza, I don't think you got Lissa killed, it was a rescue mission ordered by Alberta."

I could see Alberta on the phone, no doubt she did not want to use the radio in case Tasha overheard the order from the hallway. I was looking intently at Alberta but she wasn't giving anything away as she was listening to the speaker on the other end of the phone.

Finally she said "Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera are safe and unharmed. Apparently the Princess hit her head when Lord Ozera pulled her to the ground and she was knocked unconscious temporarily. But she is awake and other than her head she is uninjured as is Lord Ozera and they are both on their way to the infirmary as a precaution. Tasha was shot in the shoulder and was subdued and is now being taken into a holding cell where her injuries will be attended to and she will also be sedated so she cannot use any of her powers."

I let out the breath that I had been holding. Dimitri was caressing my cheek. I started to look around the room and noticed that Baba, Pavel and my mother were no longer in the room.

"Can we go see Lissa in the infirmary now?" I asked to no one in general.

"Of course Roza, let's go" Dimitri answered.

The walk to the infirmary was quiet but not the comfortable silence Dimitri and I usually share. Everyone was on edge and I was starting to feel horrible for what I did to Dimitri. After I know Lissa is safe than I can apologize to him.

The infirmary was a buzz of activity as there were a lot of guardians surrounding the entrance. We walked through and saw Dr. Olendzki "Hey doc can we see Lissa? Is she okay?"

"Yes Rose, come with me."

I walked in the room and Lissa was sitting on the stretcher and Christian was holding her from behind giving her support. Lissa was crying and as soon as I saw her I ran into her arms and hugged her tight.

"Rose, can't breathe" Lissa said.

"Sorry" I responded and I loosened my grip on her. "Are you okay?" As I looked her over to make sure she had no injuries, I could see a small cut on her forehead from where she must have hit but other than that I couldn't find anything wrong.

And then I did something I never thought I would ever do. I hugged Christian! "Thank you so much for keeping her safe. I am so sorry about Tasha."

"Thanks Rose, I can't believe what she was saying and threatening to hurt LIssa." Christian looked behind me and as Dimitri "Are you absolutely sure there was nothing between Tasha and you? There had to be something there, she couldn't have made it all up herself."

"I am afraid the relationship was only in Tasha's mind. I had thought she was interested in Ivan when we were in Russia and I only found out she was interested in me when she made me the offer to be her guardian. But I was very clear that I was not interested in her." Dimitri responded.

Dimitri's phone started to ring and he looked at the caller id and then he stepped out of the room. Shortly afterwards Eddie then Adrian came into the room "Hey, are you guys all okay?"

Everyone sort of nodded, we were as best as we could be under the circumstances. "So, what is this about you leaving us Hathaway?" Eddie asked.

"Um, well besides the issue with Tasha apparently due to my father's work there have been threats to my life." I said.

Adrian started "Rose, I can take you Court and keep you protected there are tons of Guardians and I am sure my Aunt will have you protected."

"Thanks Adrian, but unfortunately Court would not be safe for me."

"Where are you going?" Lissa asked me.

"It's better if you don't know, but we can talk on the phone and skype and hopefully I may be able to come back for graduation."

"You better, and be here for the dance as well, since you have a killer dress." Lissa said.

Dimitri then reentered the room "Rose, your father just called and would like us to make our way to the plane so we can take-off before the sunsets."

"Okay" I didn't want to say goodbye to my friends and I knew I would lose it if I stayed too long. I gave everyone a hug and promised to keep in touch and I followed Dimitri out the door.

"You okay Roza?" Dimitri whispered.

"Yes, No, I don't know."

Dimitri pulled me into an empty room and closed the door. He took me into his arms and caressed my cheek. "Dimitri, I am so sorry about what I said and did in Alberta's office. I shouldn't have fought you and I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Roza, it's okay, if I had been in the same situation and it was Ivan in danger, I probably would have done the same thing. Plus it was a really good effort you gave trying to get away, I almost thought at one point you were going to get out." Dimitri said trying to joke with me.

We walked out of the infirmary and one of the SUVs was waiting for us to take us to the academy's airstrip.

Abe POV

Everything we had heard about Tasha Ozera seemed to indicate she was unstable and was hell bent on hurting my daughter. While in Alberta's office, we heard Rose explaining what was happening to the Princess. I gave Pavel a look and he and I left the room and Janine was following as well. When we got to the Princesses dorm, Pavel made us wait outside while he went with the other guardians as one of them kicked in the door and Pavel shot Tasha in the shoulder. If it had been me, I probably would have shot her in the head. No one messes with me or my family.

Once Tasha was in her cell and sedated do that she was unable to use her powers, I went to have a talk with her.

"Zmey" Tasha greeted me.

"Good, you know who I am, this will save some time."

"It all makes sense now that blood whore is related to you." Tasha hissed.

I remained calm, I did not want her to know how her comments had affected me. "So, you know who I am and you know what I am capable of."

She didn't respond so I continued "If you think you are safe in here or Tarasov, you are not I can get to you anywhere I want to. If you so much as look at my daughter or speak her name, I will end you. Are we clear?" I said deadly calm.

Tasha at least had the smarts to look scared at my threat. With that said I joined Pavel and Janine as we made our way to my plane to get my daughter out of this god forsaken place.

**Thank you for all reviews, you guys are the best! I love reading them.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: In-flight

We all arrived to the academy airstrip about the same time as my parents and Pavel, once on board Dimitri guided me to two private seats placing me by the window and him in the aisle giving him a little more leg room. Dimitri took out my medicine bottle and gave me one of the pills and some water "Sorry, we probably should have done this sooner" Dimitri apologized.

"It's okay, I forgot about it too" I responded. "How long is this flight?"

"Well, normally is takes me 18-20 hours to fly from Russia to here, but that's commercial but it's probably a good 14 hours at least. Do you want to try and watch a movie or do you want to rest?" Dimitri asked me as he covered us both with a blanket.

"We can try and watch a movie, I am not sure how these pills will affect me, anything but a western!" I laughed at Dimitri as he shook his head. In the end we decided on the Godfather, fitting for my father but neither of us had seen it and it was a part of a trilogy, and we had mothing but time on our hands.

The pilot came over the intercom alerting us that we were cleared for take-off. I could hear the engines roaring to life and I grabbed Dimitri's hand as I wasn't completely comfortable flying due to the fact that I have only flown to court a few times.

Dimitri squeezed my hand back and gave me a reassuring smile as the plane barreled down the runway and we started rising up in the air. So far so good I thought, but as usual I spoke too soon.

"Son of Bitch" I said as bent over and put my head in my hands as the pain started. I had my eyes closed so I couldn't see the black orbs or faces of people. God, I hope this pill kicks in fast or this is going to be a really long flight.

"Roza" I heard the concern in Dimitri's voice and I was aware of some commotion around me.

"Roza, can you hear me?"

"Yes"

"Is it as bad as before?"

"Yes"

"Do you think you can try to take another pill?" Dimitri asked.

I could hear my parents and Pavel talking with Dimitri about something, I could only hear bits and pieces but I heard medicine and shot.

"Roza, Pavel is going to give you a shot of medicine in your arm that Dr. Olendzki gave him. It's just a sedative like the moroi get to block their magic."

"I don't care just make it stop." I screamed.

I felt some one taking my arm then a wet cloth, then a sting of a needle going into my upper arm. Normally I hated needles, but compared to my headache right now, the needle barley registered.

Dimitri was rubbing my back and we must have gotten to cruising altitude, because I felt Dimitri recline both our seats back and he carefully pulled me to him and cradled me and put my head on his chest. Somewhere he found pillows and put them behind my back to help support me. I felt him turn the overhead light off and he pulled the blanket up around my shoulders.

"Roza, do you want something to cover your eyes?"

"Yeah, that might help." I could feel him putting a sleep mask over my head and it was kind of cool which felt good.

Dimitri just kept rubbing my back and slowly I could start to feel the medicine work as the pain was starting to lessen. Finally getting some relief and I fell asleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I woke up and I was still cuddled with Dimitri, he had one hand playing with my hair and his other hand was holding his book. I picked up my head off of Dimitri's chest to look around.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Dimitri asked.

"Okay, a little out of it, how long did I sleep?"

"About four hours, how is your head?"

"I feel a little bit of pressure but nothing like before"

"Good, maybe we should get you some food and maybe take another pill."

"Yeah, I could eat"

Dimitri and I got up out of the seats and I stretched after being in the same position for a while. I looked around, most of the guardians were sleeping or watching movies. My parents were sleeping all cuddled up, hmmm seems like that relationship is picking up fast.

"Rose, how are you feeling?" Pavel asked.

"Better, still a little bit of pressure but not like before, thank you for helping that shot really worked" I said.

"Your welcome, I'm just glad it worked for you." Pavel responded.

Dimitri and I continued towards the front of the plane and we both used the bathroom. When we both came out I asked "So Comrade are you a member of the mile high club?"

Dimitri looked at me with lust and said "No, I am not a member and we won't be joining while your parents are on board".

We looked thru the galley and found sandwiches, I also found chips and cookies. Dimitri grabbed two sandwiches and fruit to balance my chips and cookies. He also grabbed some juices and waters. We got back to our seats and pulled the table out and got our food situated. Dimitri then set up the movie and we started watching it while we ate. Once I was done eating, Dimitri gave me another pill to take as he cleaned up our mess. When he came back we reclined and I cuddled into him and we watched the movie.

The movie wasn't too bad but instead of watching part 2 we started talking. At first it was our sort of normal banter like we had when we stretched prior to running but soon the conversation turned to Tasha and her compulsion. I was leaning back against the wall and Dimitri had pulled my legs into his lap and he was rubbing them softly. I explained what I had remembered about what Tasha had said once Adrian had compulsed me to remember.

Dimitri pulled me onto his lap and his lips were right next to my ear saying "Milaya, you know nothing she said is true. Right?"

I nodded my head.

"God, I wish we were anywhere but here so I could show you how wrong Tasha was." Dimitri stated.

"Me too Comrade, Me too."

Pavel came up to us a little later, after we had separated ourselves and we were back in our own seats. "Can the two of you follow me to the back of the plane?" Celeste and Yuri were behind Pavel and Dimitri walked in front of me so I couldn't see what was going on till we entered a room.

"OMG there's a conference room back here?" I squealed. Okay conference room was an exaggeration, but there was a table with six comfortable chairs around it.

"There's also a bed and a bathroom with a shower further down." Pavel pointed out.

Dimitri shot me a look that said 'don't even think about it'. Pavel sat at the head of the table and Dimitri and I sat on one side and Celeste and Yuri sat on the other side.

Pavel started "I wanted to go over the plans once we land which should be in about 2 hours and just to let you know it will be about 9am when we land. We have a small airstrip a few miles from the compound. It is warded, so Rose I think you will be okay once we land. We will have 4 suvs, you will all be in the third suv. Rose, I would like you to be checked out first by our physician due to your headaches, she will also be giving all of you physicals as part of working for . Then we will give you a tour of the place and I want to run thru some trials, just to see where everyone's skill level is including you Rose."

"Okay, where are we staying?" I asked curious about our living situations and how far Dimitri would have to sneak to get into my bedroom.

"Rose, you have your own suite, your father has made sure there is always a suite for you in all his houses. We can discuss where those places are at a later time" Pavel responded.

"Dimitri will have a room right next to Rose and Celeste and Yuri, you will have rooms beneath them. There is a separate kitchen in your suite for you or you can eat in the main kitchen" Pavel continued.

"Dimitri, you will be in charge of Rose's security. Rose, basically when you are within the compound Dimitri or another guardian will be with you at all times. And when you leave the compound there will be no less than three guardians with you depending on where you want to go." Pavel stated flatly out.

Just then, the pressure in my head exploded and I put my head down on the table and closed my eyes. Dimitri was kneeling at my side instantly rubbing my back. Again, I could hear bits and pieces around me but I couldn't focus on a single conversation. I heard "shot", "bed" and "over land". I felt Dimitri pick me up and say "Rose, I am bringing you to the back of the plane to the bed. Pavel is going to get you another shot, okay?"

"Yes, just don't leave" I said.

"Never" he whispered in my ear.

I felt him put me on the bed and the bed dipped down next to me. He cradled me in his arms like before and I felt him putting pillows around me.

"Roza" Dimitri whispered in my ear "Pavel is going to give you another shot now." As I felt a wet swipe then the sting of the needle, but again it did not compare to the pain in my head. Dimitri cradled my head to his chest and he was stroking my hair and gently whispering to me. Soon, the shot started to work and I picked my head up and looked around and saw that we were alone at the back of the plane.

I heard Dimitri chuckle. "What?" I asked as I tried to concentrate on his face.

"You looked drugged out" he laughed.

"Yup! Comrade, I would kiss you if I knew which head was yours." I said.

He laughed at me as he guided my head back down to his chest. "Just rest Roza" he said as he kissed my head and I fell into a deep sleep cradled in his arms.

Abe POV

I awoke to a commotion taken place in the back of the plane. I tried to extradite myself from Janine without waking her up but I was unsuccessful.

"What's the matter Ibrahim?" Janine asked me.

"I'm not sure, something at the back of the plane" I said as I looked up and saw Pavel coming towards me.

"Rose headache is back, I am getting her another shot. Belikov is bringing her to the bedroom in the back of the plane." Pavel stated.

I quickly made my way to the back of the plane to the bedroom, where Belikov had Rose on the bed and was positioning her body and making sure her body was supported just as he had done the first time.

When I heard about a potential relationship between him and my daughter I wasn't happy. Then I became concerned when they both admitted they were already in a relationship. But seeing the way he cares for her, I can't imagine anyone else by her side and that scares me too!

Since the incident with Belikov's father, I have been watching after him from a distance. After he lost his charge Ivan Zeklos, I had been considering him for my own compliment of guardians. Pavel and I had been discussing having Belikov lead a team to recover my daughter when she went on the run with the Princess, but the Queen got to him first. It's funny how life happens because here he is with my daughter and working for me.

Pavel came in the room and gave Rose another injection and slowly she seemed to be in less distress. I walked out and sat down in the now empty conference room. I spoke with Sasha, the women who ran my households in Russia and Turkey and explained that we were on our way in. I wanted Belikov's grandmother Yeva contacted to find out the name of the shadow kissed couple that lived in Baia, we needed to get more information about Rose being shadow kissed. Plus I wanted the staff and guardians aware of our impending arrival and let some of the retired guardians that still worked for me know that Rose has no memory of her time before the academy. There were a few retired guardians who would be happy to see Rose again, but I didn't want Rose overwhelmed on her first day here.

Pavel walked in at that moment, I asked "How much of a conversation were you able to have with them?"

Pavel responded "Not much, just basics about living arrangements and physicals with the doctor. I told Rose that I wanted her seen due to her headaches and needing the medications. I'm not sure if this means anything, but I noticed that Rose's headache began once we were over land again."

"I asked Sasha to speak with Yeva so we can contact the shadow kissed couple that might be able to give us more information." I said.

"I initially planned to have all of them go thru some trials so I can get a sense of their abilities including Rose. But with everything that happened, I think I will give them today off to acclimate and then we will do it tomorrow instead." Pavel stated.

"Sounds like a good idea, and yes, I would like Rose checked out and I suspect that Belikov would like to visit his family and bring Rose there as soon as possible."

"Yes, I spoke briefly with Belikov when Rose was sleeping the first time. He said Rose was concerned that if she was a target and was with Belikov, Rose is worried his family might be in danger. So I am thinking that we will let Rose and Belikov go to see his family and then maybe we will invite them for dinner in a couple of days and discuss the risk with them and see what we can do to ensure their security."

I replied "Yes, I agree, whatever we need to do to make sure Rose is safe, secure and happy. She has suffered too much in her young life."

Pavel pondered for a minute and said "So, how do you feel about Belikov being with Rose?"

"At first I wasn't happy about it, but just watching him with Rose and how much he does to make sure she's safe, comfortable and secure. I have a feeling he would do anything for her including dying for her. First you worry that your daughter will fall for the wrong person and then you worry when they find the right one. As long as he continues to treat her well, then I am all for them being together."

"Watch it Abe, you might be getting soft there" Pavel joked.

"Don't think I have missed the way that you look at both of them approving of their relationship." I joked back.

Pavel and I left the conference room, he went back to his seat to work on business and I went back to check on Rose. Both Rose and Belikov were asleep and Janine was just finishing putting a blanket over the two and then she walked over to where I was standing in the doorway and she put her arms around me as I encircled her waist, she lifted her head and I met her halfway as gave me the sweetest kiss.

"He really loves her" Janine said.

"I've noticed that"

"What are you going to do?" She chuckled at me.

"As long as he continues to love her and take care of her properly, I don't have a problem. And I have a feeling that this is something that is going to last for a long time and I don't think I will need to threaten him at all but maybe just a little warning." I said with a big smile on my face as I guided Janine back to our seats.

DPOV

I was so happy to be getting on a plane with Roza, not only was I going home but I was going to be with Roza all the time, training her and protecting her. I never imagined that I would ever be able to be with her in the open. I was so happy that she and I are together and I can't believe that she gave up her virginity to me. I was so honored that she chose me and trusted me to take care of her. But now I was addicted to her and could not wait to get to Russia so I could be with her again. I needed her.

I guided Roza to two seats so that we would have our privacy and I could hold her and have her close to me and no one would care that I was with her. Maybe Abe would care, I am sure that I have a threatening lecture coming at some point from him that I better not hurt his daughter. I would do the same thing if I had a daughter, so I will not be surprised when it happens, I just needed to convince him that I will always take care of Roza.

Speaking of taking care of her I gave her a pill to help with the headache she might get, and I cursed myself as I should have given it her earlier so she would have the medicine starting to work before takeoff.

Roza and I discussed what she wanted to do on the long flight to Russia. She finally decided she wanted to watch a movie, the Godfather, subtle Roza.

I watched her as we started to take off. I realized she was nervous as she has not flown much. She grabbed my hand and I squeezed back given her reassurance that I was right here for her. We took off and she seemed to be doing okay but right before we reached cruising altitude, she started complaining of a headache and she leaned forward in her seat. I started rubbing her back.

"Roza."

"Roza, can you hear me?"

"Yes" she finally replied.

"Is it as bad as before?" I asked.

"Yes" she responded.

"Do you think you can try to take another pill?" I asked.

Pavel came over as well as her parents, Pavel explained that the Dr. Olendzki had given pills for Roza but they had also given medication that they could give her through an injection.

"Roza, Pavel is going to give you a shot of medicine in your arm that Dr. Olendzki gave him. It's just a sedative like the moroi get to block their magic." I explained.

"I don't care just make it stop." She screamed.

Pavel gave her the injection and after a minute or so she started to get a little relief so I was able to position Roza in my arms. I had her head on my chest, I reclined both of our seats and placed pillows behind her to support her. I then pulled the blanket over both of us and I started stroking her hair and whispering to her in Russian.

I told her things in Russian that I was too afraid to say to her in English. This was her first relationship and I didn't want to push her to fast too soon. I told how much I loved her and if I could, I would marry her today. I wanted a long and happy life with her. I wanted to raise children with her and I knew she was nervous about being a mother since she didn't really have a role model growing up except maybe Alberta. There are so many children in Russia to adopt, mostly children whose parents had been killed by strigoi. I knew she was not ready for children yet, she still had life to live and enjoy, but one day I wanted children and I would be there to guide her as always.

I told her how I couldn't wait to introduce her to my family. Since Babushka called, I knew at least my mama knew we were on our way. Maybe my sisters would know as well and I couldn't wait to see Victoria, we were close growing up and it hurt her hard and it hurt me to when I went to America. But I can't wait to see how she has grown and I want to see her skills as a novice. I worry about her being a guardian. But that is what she chose and hopefully that will be the best path for her and she will not follow my older sisters by getting pregnant at a young age.

I told Roza how much I think she is going to love Victoria as I see a lot of similarities between the two of them. Karolina and my mama will be warm and loving towards her. Sonya will be her normal self, I hear she is very cranky with her pregnancy. My nephew Paul, I can't wait to see him, he has gotten so big when I see him on skype. I have a feeling he has already developed a crush on Roza because of what I have told him. Roza and I will have to find a way to let him down easy. I can't wait to see Zoya in person, she is beautiful like her mama, but seeing her through a screen does not do her justice.

I told Roza how excited I was because her father was a very generous employer that I could now send even more money home and also continue to put more money away for Roza and me.

Pavel came by to check on Rose, I told him she was resting comfortably and thanked him from the shot. I took the time to bring to his attention that I wanted to bring Roza to meet my family as soon as that is possible to arrange. I also relayed that Rose was upset, thinking that my family would be in danger from the people after her, and she was worried they would come after my family.

Pavel said he could arrange for a visit for today for us to see my family and he said to give him some time and he would discuss my family's security with Abe. I thanked him for that and he went on his way. I noticed that every guardian on the plane who passed Rose would make sure she was okay. Rose was well loved here, but it was sad that at the academy she felt she was so alone.

Rose started to stir, when she was finally awake we went to the restrooms and Pavel told us there was a galley so we could get some food. I couldn't believe that Roza propositioned me for the mile high club. Which did nothing to help as her suggestion turned me on to where I wanted to take her right there, but with her parents and Pavel on board, I would probably be shoved out of the airplane in flight if I attempted to do anything with Rose.

We ate our food, Roza found chips and cookies to feed her junk food addiction, but I was at least able to get an apple into her. I also had her take another pill, to try and keep the headache to a dull roar. We watched the movie which was pretty good, we will have to watch the second movie at some point.

After we watched the movie, we started to talk like we do when we are stretching before our work outs. I steered the talk towards Tasha and her compulsion. Roza was leaned up against the wall and her legs were in my lap and I was gently massaging her legs.

Roza told me how Tasha was basically telling her that I did not like Rose, and I that I felt she was a burden to me to have to teach her. Tasha also told her that her friends did not like her and that she should be scared of all the men in her life. The exception to that were Jesse and Ralf, apparently Tasha knew of the rumors that Jesse and Ralf spread with the hope of isolating Rose.

I think that is why Rose was so distracted, her brain was trying to fight off the compulsion. I am so glad Tasha is behind bars but we needed to speak with Pavel about the other threats. I pulled Rose onto my lap and explained how wrong Tasha was and that I wish I could prove my love to her right now. Tonight seemed like a long way away and I needed her again. She was like my drug, I was completely addicted to her and did not want to give her up.

We went back to normal talking when Pavel wanted to speak with us. Roza went crazy when she saw the conference room and then heard there was a bed in the back.

Pavel started discussing procedure for landing and car assignments and then what we would need to do essentially as newly hired guardians. Roza asked about our living situation and was excited that my room was right next to her and that Celeste and Yuri were below us. I was excited that we have a kitchen to cook with, so I could cook my Roza some Russian food.

Rose put her head down and I could see the pain had come back. I was immediately at her side reassuring her and rubbing her back. Pavel suggested that he would get another injection for Rose and that I should carry Rose to the bedroom. I picked up Roza and I said "Rose, I am bringing you to the back of the plane to the bed. Pavel is going to get you another shot, okay?"

"Yes, just don't leave" Roza said.

"Never" I whispered in her ear.

I put her down on the bed and then I lied down next to her and as I did before I supported her body cradling her head and placing pillows behind her back.

"Roza" I whispered in her ear "Pavel is going to give you another shot now".

After a few minutes I chuckled. "What?" Roza asked as she seemed to try to concentrate on my face.

"You looked drugged out" I laughed.

"Yup! Comrade, I would kiss you if I knew which head was yours." Roza said.

I laughed at her as I guided her head back down to his chest. "Just rest Roza" I said as I kissed her head and she fell into a deep sleep and it didn't take long before I fell asleep holding my Roza.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Arrival

DPOV

Roza was still asleep when we were getting ready to land, Pavel had notified me when we were close to landing so I could get Roza and myself into seats. When I picked up Roza from the bed she awoke slightly.

"Comrade?"

"Shhh Roza, go back to sleep, I am just picking you up to get you into the seat for landing." I told her.

As we were close to landing, I was looking out the window of the plane at my home town. It was still winter and there was plenty of snow on the ground but I could still recognize areas. I couldn't wait to show Roza around the town that I grew up and I was definitely excited to be bringing my Roza home to meet my family.

Once we landed, I carried Roza out to the waiting SUV, Yuri helped me get her into the car and I took the seat next to her and I molded her to my body. It was a short ride to the Mazur Compound, when we pulled up to the gated entrance, I could see the high tech surveillance equipment that they were using. There was a short drive down a tree lined road and we pulled up to the enormous structure, the building could be easily mistaken for a hotel.

Once we were stopped Yuri helped me again to get Roza out of the car, she started to awake just enough to position herself in my arms and wrap her arms around my neck. Pavel came over and directed all of us to follow him inside. We went to the left of the main entrance where there was a separate door. Pavel explained that Rose had her own entrance outside as well as an inside entrance that allowed her access to the rest of the building.

Pavel explained the majority of the entrances required a scan of a thumbprint to get in and he would be taking care of that later today for all of us. We followed Pavel into the foyer where there was a staircase and an elevator. We got into the elevator and he pushed floor 3, when we arrived on the floor, Pavel directed us to a huge bedroom with a king size bed and huge bathroom. I placed Roza down on the bed and turned to Pavel and he pointed to a door where he said my room was located. He also explained that a few guardians would be up shortly with our luggage.

Pavel informed us that the doctor would be up shortly to assess Rose and that he would be back in about two hours to collect us all, if Roza was awake, to meet with Abe.

"I have also arranged for guardians to accompany Rose and yourself to see your family, I have scheduled it for 1pm to 5pm. Mr. Mazur is having an informal reception tonight at 7pm for Rose to introduce her to some key personnel." Pavel stated.

"Thank you Pavel, I appreciate that." I said

"Oh, I have arranged for the seamstress to see you after the doctor to be measured for new uniforms" Pavel stated. And with that he showed Celeste and Yuri where their rooms were located. I couldn't wait till Roza was awake so we could explore the area.

I wanted to cuddle up to Roza but I was aware that there would be guardians arriving shortly with Roza's and my luggage.

I went to the door that Pavel stated was my room, which I hoped I would not spend much time sleeping in. It was a modest sized room, it had a queen size bed, but looked like there was enough room for a king sized bed if necessary. There were two leather chairs with a table and a lamp between them. The bathroom was a nice size, it had a big shower that fit my height. There was no bath tub, but I was assuming that maybe Roza's bathroom would have one.

The walls throughout Roza's room and mine were white and there was some sparse furniture. I was thinking that this was intentional, so that Roza could decorate to her liking.

I heard a knock at Roza's door, I went to open it and there were a bunch of guardians carrying our luggage. I directed them to drop Roza's and mine luggage in her huge walk in closet and then specified which luggage was Yuri and Celeste's. After they left, I closed and locked the door to Roza's room and I got up on the bed and lied down next to Roza and she curled into my body and I put an arm around and was playing with her hair as I pulled out one of my western books and started to read.

About an hour later there was a knock on the door. I gingerly moved off the bed trying not to disturb Roza and I went and opened the door, there was a woman who identified herself as the physician for .

I opened the door further and allowed her into Roza's room.

"Hi Guardian Belikov I presume?"

"Correct"

"I am Dr. Morozov, I am here to check on Ms. Hathaway and then to give you a physical." She said.

I was looking at her when she stated "I am human but I am aware that Ms. Hathaway and you are dhampirs and that Mr. Mazur is a moroi. I went to medical school in Moscow, but I did my residency at the hospital at Court and learned about the differences between the groups."

There was another knock at the door and a woman was there and she said "Hello Guardian Belikov, my name is Sasha and I am Mr. Mazur's head housekeeper. I am here to help Ms. Hathaway unpack, oh I see she is still asleep. I can sit with her if you would like to have your physical and measurements taken while you are just in the next room."

I let her in and said "Thank you, I had the other guardians put everything in Roza's closet, so some of the clothing will belong to me, which I will retrieve later."

I followed the doctor into my bedroom.

RPOV

I slowly started to come around, I didn't want to open my eyes, but I could tell we were no longer on an airplane. I realized I was on the softest mattress ever and my head was not killing me anymore and there was no more pressure from the black orbs and faces that I see. I could also feel that there was no warm body next to me, meaning that Comrade was not in the bed with me, but I could faintly detect his aftershave, so I am guessing that he is not too far away.

I opened my eyes and so far so good, no pain. I took the chance and sat up and looked around. I was in a huge king size bed and I could detect movement in my closet and I suspected that it would be Dimitri, because that would be something he would do, unpack my clothes.

So I decided to call for him "Comrade?"

A woman walked out of the closet and I said "Oh, hi, I thought that Guardian Belikov was in the closet."

"Hello Miss Hathaway, my name is Sasha, I am the head housekeeper for Mr. Mazur, I was just organizing your clothes for you. Guardian Belikov is in his bedroom with Dr. Morozov getting his physical. Do you need me to get him?"

"No, that's okay, I can wait till he is finished." I got out of the bed and straightened my clothes and walked over to Sasha and shook her hand and said "It's nice to meet you Sasha, please call me Rose."

"It's nice to meet you Rose."

Just then there was a knock at the door. Sasha said "I'll get that, it must be the seamstress to measure Guardian Belikov for his uniform."

A woman introduced herself and then went to stand by the door that I assumed leaded to Dimitri's bedroom. The door to his room opened a short while later and a woman walked out as the seamstress walked in.

"Good morning Miss Hathaway, I am Dr. Morozov."

"Good morning Dr. Morozov, you can call me Rose." I replied.

"I was informed that you got a bad headache due to you being shadow kissed and intramuscular injection of a sedative was required. How are you feeling now?"

"Much better, once I am behind the wards it just disappears." I said.

Dr. Morozov started her physical and continued to ask question that were relevant to the area she was examining. Partially through the exam, Dimitri walked out of his room and gave me the biggest smile. He sat down in one of the comfy chairs in my room and he pulled out a western book and started reading.

Dr. Morozov started asking about my menstruations and if I was sexually active. "Don't worry anything you tell me is confidential, I won't be telling your parents anything." Dr. Morozov stated.

"My periods are pretty much regular" I said and I took a peek at Dimitri and he gave me a slight nod "and yes I am having sex with my boyfriend." I saw Dimitri sit up a little straighter and he gave me the biggest smile. I guess he likes it when I call him names like my boyfriend.

"Are you on birth control?" Dr. Morozov asked.

"No, I am not on birth control because my boyfriend is dhampir" I said.

"I like to have the female guardians that I treat on birth control for two reasons. The first reason is obvious, for protection in case a female guardian had sex with a moroi or a human. And the second reason why, is for training purposes and guarding purposes, it helps to time their schedules."

I must have had a confused look on my face because Dr. Morozov stated "You take the first three weeks worth of pills and then instead of taking the last set of pills which are just sugar pills you start a new pack and then you don't have your period. But every three months you will take the pills from the last row to have you bleed as you need to at least bleed four times a year."

Dimitri came over and starting rubbing my back and informed Dr. Morozov that he and I were involved. He started asking questions about risks and which pills were the best to use. I sadly started to zone out while they were talking. Dimitri realized that I was zoning out and elbowed me and I was brought back to the present as Dr. Morozov handed me a pack of pills. Dimitri and I thanked her and Dimitri showed her to the door. I went to the closet and realized that Sasha had unpacked everything, including Dimitri's belongings. When I walked out of the closet and I saw Dimitri, we both realized it was the first time we have been alone since the morning at the hotel. It was like a moth to a flame. I stood on my tip toes and wrapped my arms around his neck, while Dimitri put his arms around my waist and lifted me up. My legs immediately went around his waist and he walked us back to the bed. The whole time both of us were fighting for dominance while kissing. Once we had to break apart to breath, Dimitri said "I have wanted to kiss you for forever." As he placed me down on the bed and he hovered over me, while kissing my neck he said "We can't get too carried away, Pavel is coming to get us shortly."

"OMG, can we explore?" I asked.

"Yes, but you have to stay within the suite because we need to have thumbprints to get in to the other buildings."

Dimitri got off of me and the bed and then held his hand out and helped me off the bed. First I looked in the bathroom, which was bigger than my dorm room at St Vladimir's. It had a huge shower and a bathtub that was perfect for two people. It had two sinks as well as a place to sit down and do your make up.

I looked at Dimitri and said "Care to try out the bath tub with me Comrade sometime?"

He came up behind me and his arms encircled my waist and he whispered in my ear "absolutely".

Then he grabbed my hand and said "Come on let's check out the rest of the suite."

He pointed out his room and bathroom, and then we walked out of his door into the rest of the suite. It was an open plan there was a kitchen that we discovered that was well stocked. There was an island that had four high stools allowing you to eat at the counter. Dimitri was looking at the cooking equipment that was available and I envisioned sitting at the counter while my love cooked. Dimitri must have been thinking the same thing as he said "Roza, the Russian foods I will be able to make you in this kitchen" with a huge smile on his face.

"I can't wait Comrade" I said. Next to the kitchen was a table with six chairs, then there was wall that had a fire place that you could see from both sides. When you walked to the other side of the wall, there was a huge sofa in a U shape facing the fire place with a huge flat screen tv over the fireplace.

Dimitri was right behind me and said "Roza, it is time to introduce you to football."

"I already know about football Comrade" I said.

"I mean football as in what you would call soccer." Dimitri replied.

"Ohhh" I replied. Trying to show interest but failing miserably as Dimitri kissed the top of my head.

"Well, I can't wait to introduce you to reality tv, I have missed it. I was so addicted to it when Lissa and I were on the run." I said.

"Can't wait" Dimitri said while rolling his eyes.

We found a staircase and went down stairs as apparently we were on the top floor. We walked out on to the second floor and found Celeste and Yuri, there were six identical bedrooms for guardians similar to Dimitri's room upstairs. Celeste and Yuri followed Dimitri and I as we went to the first floor and found a small work out room, laundry facilities and storage.

Just then Pavel walked in and said "perfect timing".

"We were just looking around" I replied.

"Alright well, follow me, Rose your father would like to speak with each of you and then I will take you on a tour of the compound and get your bio-identification and then we have set up for you to visit Dimitri's family this afternoon. Your father would like you back here by 6pm for a 7pm dinner." Pavel stated.

We followed Pavel out of "my suite" as he referred to it and into a foyer and up 4 flights of stairs to Baba's office. Pavel showed Dimitri and I into Baba's office and had Celeste and Yuri wait outside. When I walked in Baba looked up from his desk and asked "Rose, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you" I responded as I looked around. Baba had a huge desk with two comfortable chairs in front of the desk that Dimitri and I sat in. Behind Baba was floor to ceiling book shelves and to Baba's right was a smaller desk with a few computer monitors where Pavel went and took a seat. And to Baba's left were floor to ceiling windows looking over the back part of the compound.

"Where's Mom" I asked as Dimitri and I sat in the chairs in front of the desk.

"Your mother is currently in her office speaking with Lord Szelzky about taking some time off." Baba answered. "Rose, Pavel will get Dimitri and you set up for bio-identification and you are welcome to go anywhere on the compound, Dimitri as Rose's Primary Guardian, you will have the same security access. The only places you will not be able to access is this office, my bedroom and the basement."

"What's in the basement?" I asked.

"In good time, I will let you know, but for now, please respect me on this" Baba said.

"Okay" I said as I gave Dimitri a quick look and he gave me a quick reassuring look.

"Dimitri, I was not happy when I learned that you were involved with my daughter, and yes I realize that it may not be my place to say that, but I have to say that you have proven to me in the last few days that you have Rose's best interest at heart." Baba said.

"Thank you Sir, I intended to continue to keep her safe and happy." Dimitri replied.

"Please call me Abe, but if you harm her or hurt her you will be dealing with me." Baba said.

"Baba" I yelled.

"Rose, it's okay. If you and I ever had a daughter, I would be the same way. Hell, I will be like that with Victoria, I expected this speech." Dimitri said.

"I hope your suite is satisfactory?" Baba asked.

"It beyond satisfactory, it better than perfect" I said.

"Well, you have the credit card that I gave you and you can order whatever you like and decorate it to your taste. Just let Sasha, Pavel or me know and we will organize whatever you need. And feel free to order more clothes if necessary for the both of you." Baba stated.

"Thank you Baba" I replied.

"Pavel has set up so that the both of you will be able to visit Dimitri's family this afternoon but I would like you both back here by 6 pm for dinner at 7 pm. There are some people that I would like to introduce you to if you are up to that?" Baba asked.

"Yes, I think so." I replied not knowing how things would go with Dimitri's family.

"Alright, Pavel is going to take you on a tour and then I'll see you all for dinner." Baba said as he came around the desk and gave me a hug.

"Bye Baba" I said.

We followed Pavel down to the second floor which was the security room and Pavel set all of us up for our thumbprint access. I watched Dimitri as he seemed to be very interested in all the high tech security equipment. I didn't peg Dimitri for a computer junkie with all his western books.

We followed Pavel out and he showed us were the main kitchen and dining area for the guardians and staff. He also showed us where Baba's bedroom was just in case I needed him.

Then Pavel showed us outside, this place was huge, I felt like I needed a map just to get around. There was an outdoor swimming pool for the summer as well as an outdoor track. There was also a cleared path around the compound that was used to walk the ward line, but Pavel said guardians enjoyed running on that path as well.

He showed us a huge garage where all the cars were kept and he pointed out that a few of the retired guardians were in charge of the up keep of all vehicles. Pavel then explained that Baba had always been very generous to his guardians. If a guardian became injured and was no longer able to perform their duty or if they simply aged out and needed to retire, Baba always gave them the option to stay here and work in a variety of settings.

Pavel then brought us to this enormous structure which seemed to have the most buzz around it. We walked in and there was so much activity, there were areas for sparring, there was a track above the sparring area, there was a separate area for weight training and a separate area for cardio and everything was high-tech and looked brand new. We walked farther in and he showed us where there was an Olympic sized pool and a few Jacuzzis for relaxing. I am sure there is probably a steam room in the locker rooms.

Everyone in there seemed to quiet down as Pavel was showing us around and I am sure they have all been informed of my arrival. But I was feeling a bit on display and normally I would like that at St. Vladimir's but these were not my peers, Dimitri sensing my hesitations put his hand on the small of my back just to reassure me.

Pavel brought us back to the front entrance of my suite as a van pulled up to us and Pavel introduced the guardians that would be driving us to Dimitri's family house. Pavel also informed us that we would all be going through an assessment of our abilities especially mine. So that Dimitri and he would be able to develop training plans for me and that we were to meet Pavel in the gym tomorrow at 8am.

With that Pavel wished us farewell and we all climbed into the van to see Dimitri's family.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Belikovs

We got into the van to head to Dimitri's childhood home. There were two guardians in the front who were driving, Pavel had introduced them to us but I was in name overload from everyone we met over the last few days, I couldn't remember them all.

Dimitri and I sat in the back with Celeste and Yuri with us in the middle plus the two guardians in the front. Dimitri had directed that when we got to his house, Celeste and Yuri would guard the front of the house and the other two guardians would guard the backyard. I had to admit to myself that Dimitri in charge was definitely a turn on and I was so happy we were finally together.

The trip, Dimitri said, would only take about 20 minutes and I realized that I didn't remember him telling his family we were coming. "Dimitri, does your family know we are coming?" I panicked.

"Yes, I had talked with Pavel on the plane and I texted Karolina when you were still sleeping." Dimitri reassured me.

"Oh good" I said as I started rubbing my temples. I should know by now that nothing gets by him.

"You okay Roza, is being outside the wards bothering you?" Dimitri whispered to me.

"No, I mean yes I feel it a little, but I think it's just a normal headache, Comrade" I said.

Dimitri started rubbing the back of my neck and asked "Do you want to go back and meet my family on a different day?"

"No, absolutely not, I want to meet them and you need to see them and I am sure they need to see you." I firmly stated.

"Have I told you I love you?" Dimitri whispered in my ear.

"Not in the last hour." I smirked.

Dimitri turned in his seat slightly towards me and pushed some hair behind my ear, then cupped my face with both his hands and he brought his lips within an inch of mine and said "I love you Roza". Then he gave me the sweetest kiss and I could not wipe the grin off my face and I said "I love you too, Comrade."

After a few minutes Dimitri said "Maybe we will do a quick visit and we can come back this weekend so you can meet Victoria, I think you are really going to love her. And I know she can't wait to meet you."

"Dimitri, how long has it been since you have been home?" I asked.

"Well, I was home for about two weeks before I left for St. Vladimir to find Lissa and you." Dimitri stated as we were getting closer I could tell he was getting excited and but it made me feel a little sad.

"What is it Roza?" Dimitri asked as he noted a change in my demeanor.

"Promise you won't laugh at me?" I asked.

"Roza, I would never laugh at you." He said as I raised both my eyebrows at him, since I cannot do the one eyebrow thing. "Okay, I won't laugh at you about whatever this is."

"I can see you getting a little excited the closer we get to your house, it was the same way with Lissa when I would go home with her and I get a little sad that I never had that experience." I said quietly.

"Roza" Dimitri said.

"It's okay, I am used to it." I said as I looked out the window trying to will away the tears that threatened to fall.

"Roza" Dimitri started "Roza, look at me" I turned my head to look at him and he continued "I'm sorry that you never had that before, but trust me once you meet my family, you will have that feeling when we come to visit and plus your parents are starting to try, so give them a chance, okay?"

"Okay" I said as he pulled me closer to his side and he kissed my temple.

"Here we are" Dimitri squealed like a little girl. I started laughing to the point I was crying and I could tell Yuri was trying to keep it together and that Celeste had lost it like me. But thankfully Dimitri was so happy to be seeing his family that he was laughing with us. I started to take deep breaths so I could calm myself down.

Then Yuri had to squeal "OMG we are here" imitating Dimitri's squeal and Celeste and I lost it. All my effort to calm down was lost after his one last comment. Dimitri responded by saying something about Yuri and sparring tomorrow.

We stopped in front of a house that I recognized from a picture I saw when I was helping Dimitri pack up his room. As soon as I was out of the van, the nerves kicked in and then I realized why Yuri had done what he had done. He had anticipated that I would be nervous meeting Dimitri's family and partly because he was a jokester and he could not pass up the opportunity. I would have to get Dimitri to take it easy on him the next time they were sparring.

Dimitri grabbed my hand as we walked up to the door, but my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. Dimitri squeezed my hand and I turned to him and he said "Breathe Roza, you have nothing to fear, they are going to love you."

Just then the door opened and a woman in her forties yelled "Dimka" and ran into his arms and I saw the huge smile on Dimitri face as he said "Mama". They hugged for a few minutes and I could tell that his mama was crying since she was so happy for him to be home. When she pulled back from him, she looked at me and said "Rose, it is so good to finally meet you, Dimka has told me a lot about you." and she gave me the biggest hug. She whispered in my ear and said "He looks so happy, thank you".

"It's so nice to meet you Mrs. Belikov, Dimitri has told me so much about you as well" I said smiling at her.

"Olena, please call me Olena." She said as she ushered us inside. We walked in to a living room and there were two couches and two comfy armchairs on either side of the fire place. It was older house and it had mismatched furniture but it looked like a home should look like, nice and cozy.

As soon as we got into the living room, a woman a little older than Dimitri came out of the kitchen with a baby on her hip and Dimitri went over to her and gave her a huge hug and then he started talking baby talk in Russian. I have no idea what he said, but it was the cutest thing I think I have ever heard. After Dimitri had taken the baby from her arms, she came over to me and introduced herself "Hi Rose, I'm Karolina, Dimka's older sister and this is Zoya, my daughter."

Dimitri started to hand the baby to me and I said "That's okay Comrade, I have no experience with babies."

Thankfully, Karolina rescued me and took Zoya back as she went to the bottom of the stairs and said "Paul, come down here, Uncle Dimka's here and he brought Auntie Rose with him."

All of a sudden we heard a crash, then a door open and running down the hallway to the stairs as we watched this tall boy come running at Dimitri, screaming Uncle Dimka. Dimitri caught him and picked him up and swung him around before putting him back on the ground.

"Paul, you're getting so tall" Dimitri said and then he turned to me "Roza, this is my nephew Paul, Karo's oldest son."

"Hi Paul" I said.

"Hi Auntie Rose, are you staying here with us." Paul asked.

I looked at Dimitri and he said "No Paul, sorry we are staying outside of town with Rose's parents, but don't worry we are only 20 minutes away and we will see you often."

Paul looked at Dimitri and then he looked at me and said "okay".

Olena came back in the room with a tray full of hot chocolates. Dimitri grabbed two mugs and gave one to me as we sat on the couch. Olena and Karolina sat on the other couch and Paul and Zoya were playing on the floor in front of them. An older woman shuffled in and Dimitri got up off the couch and I followed, he hugged her and then Dimitri turned to me and said "Roza, this is my babushka." I put my hand out to shake her hand and she said "I don't shake the hand of someone related to the snake."

I looked at Dimitri and he and Olena started speaking to Yeva in Russian. I have no idea what they were saying but it did not sound nice.

Yeva spoke up again with a sly smile on her face and said "I am just kidding, she is your better half Dimka, cherish her" as she came over to me and gave me a hug. "As long as the two of you stay true to each other, you will be fine."

I looked over at Dimitri and I saw him tense, due to the fact that those were similar words from the fortune teller at Court, after Yeva sat in the chair near the fire, Dimitri and I went back to sit on the couch. I was listening to Dimitri explain what happened on campus over the past few days and why we needed to leave the Academy, when I got pulled into Lissa's head.

Lissa was in her room with Christian when a bunch of guardians burst into the room. Once they secured the room, Alberta walked in as she was talking on the phone "Janine, she escaped with the help of Guardian Anderson. Oh, good, you are already in Russia? Well, she escaped within the last hour, so you are at least 12 hours ahead of her. Okay, I'll let you know if I find out any more information."

Sorry, Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera for the intrusion. Lady Ozera has apparently escaped while Court guardians came to get her to escort her to Court to be put on trial. The Queen spoke with Headmistress Kirova and she wants the both of you, plus Adrian Ivashkov to fly to Court for your protection."

"Roza, Roza, can you hear me?" Dimitri asked. "Did something happen with Lissa?"

"Tasha escaped, Alberta just called Mom to let her know of the situation and Lissa , Christian and Adrian are being sent to Court for protection" I replied as I was able to get out of Lissa's head just in time to see Dimitri run to the front door and yelled for the guardians who came with us.

Dimitri came back into the room and was at my side as he was explaining to his family why we had to leave. We heard tires screeching outside and even though I knew it wasn't Tasha it was just un-nerving to hear that sound.

Ten seconds later Pavel ran through the door with 2 more guardians that I did not know. He explained that he was leaving two guardians with Dimitri's family's house, despite Olena's objection just to be on the safe side and that Dimitri would contact them tomorrow to discuss options for safety.

Dimitri and I hugged his family quickly and Pavel and Dimitri flanked me as we went to the van. Celeste was in front of me and Yuri followed me as well as the other two guardians whose names I could not remember. They left one of the vans at the Belikov house in case his family or the guardians who stayed behind needed it.

The drive back to Baba's took half the time that it should have as the guardian who was driving, was speeding. I informed Pavel and Dimitri what I had seen Alberta telling Mom that Tasha had only escaped an hour ago, and Alberta felt we had a 12 hour lead on Tasha so we didn't need to worry about her in the immediate future. Dimitri spoke up "Roza, we don't know if Tasha has any allies here in Russia that could get to you."

"I hadn't thought about that" I replied as I felt Dimitri's hand grip mine while he and everyone else was looking out the windows searching for any dangers. A few seconds later we turned into the driveway and were let into the compound immediately. When we pulled up to the front, Baba and Mom were waiting for us and once we were all out Mom had explained that she had spoken with Alberta. I interrupted her and said "I saw Alberta speaking with you, I got pulled into Lissa's head".

"Rose, why don't the four of you relax tonight, I know Pavel will be testing you all tomorrow. I'll have the kitchen make pizza and brownies for everyone and bring it up to you in about an hour. A little birdie told me that it was one of your favorite meals." Baba said with a smirk.

"Thanks Baba, that sounds great." I said.

Dimitri and I went up to the third floor into our room and I flopped down on the bed and covered my eyes with my forearm. I felt the bed dip next to me and I could feel Dimitri's warm body next me plus his scent got stronger. I took a deep breath and then turned and looked at him and said "I'm sorry your visit got cut short."

Dimitri turned on his side and pulled me to him and said "Roza, it's not your fault and like I said before, we are so close we can see them whenever we want, okay."

"Okay"

"What do you want Roza?" Dimitri asked.

"Well I would really love a shower because I have no idea how long we have been in these clothes, then some pizza and then maybe some loving" I responded sort of as a statement and sort of as a question.

Dimitri looked at me with a smile on his face, and he said "I think we can accomplish that". He pulled away from me and got off the bed and then grabbed my legs and pulling me to the edge of the bed. I propped myself up on my elbow watching as Dimitri took off my shoes and socks and I could tell he was toeing off his shoes as well.

He bent over and was hovering over me as his hands went to my hoodie and unzipped it. I sat up so I could take it off and Dimitri's hands went to my waist and he slowly brought my shirt up and over my head. As I lowered myself back onto the bed, Dimitri followed me, one of his hands went behind me and unclasped my bra taking it off and before I could get my hands around his neck he pulled away from me. I pouted at him, but then he just laughed at me "Is there something wrong Roza?"

"Yes, I want to kiss you" I said.

"I see, I thought you wanted a shower and pizza before your loving" Dimitri said with a smirk as he sexily pulled his shirt over his head and I became distracted by his muscular chest and abdomen.

While I was distracted by Dimitri's body, his hand went to the button on my pants and unzipped them. I could tell he was equally affected as I heard him groan when my red lace panties peeked out of my jeans.

"Something the matter Comrade?" I asked seductively.

"Uh, nhh" I stifled a giggle as it was apparent that Dimitri was unable to speak or make a coherent syllable.

Dimitri started pulling my jeans off and as soon as they were off, I flipped over and off the bed and ran to the bathroom door. I figured that two could play at this game. I took my panties off and sling shotted them towards him as he whined "Roza".

I went into the shower and turned on the water and I groaned as I realized we had immediate hot water. Being on the top floor of the novice dorms it seemed to take forever to get the hot water. I had just tilted my head back to get my hair wet when I heard Dimitri open the shower door.

Dimitri pushed me up against the shower wall as he crashed his lips on me. His hands were everywhere all at once and my hands were on his shoulders holding on. His hands grabbed a little bit of soap as he was caressing my breast as I was nipping at his neck. Dimitri's hands went around my waist and he hoisted me up as my legs went around his waist. My hands went to the back of Dimitri's neck and into his hair as I pulled him closer to me as he started kissing my neck. Dimitri was rocking his erection into me and it was driving me mad.

A few moments later I moaned "Dimitri, I need you now."

"I know me too, Roza" he took one of his hands and grabbed his cock as he lined it up to my entrance and he brought me down in one quick motion as I hissed.

"Are you okay, I didn't hurt you" Dimitri asked with a concerned voice since I was still getting used to his size.

"No, you're fine, keep going" I said as I was panting. This time was going to be hard and rough and that was what I needed from him. Partly due to the adrenaline from before and partly due to the fact that it was the first time we had connected since the hotel.

Dimitri set a brutal pace and he felt so good. But ever the gentleman he said "Tell me if it is too much or if you need me to stop."

"Don't stop, keep going" I moaned as I was being pounded into the shower wall behind me.

"So close" I said to Dimitri and then his hands went from my waist and he grabbed my ass and curved my hips into him which caused him to hit that sweet spot.

"Comrade" I called out as he bit me just above my left breast where no one would see it. That action was enough to send me over the edge as my orgasm took over and Dimitri followed right after me.

It took a few minutes for us to catch our breaths and eventually Dimitri lowered me to the ground but held onto me since my legs felt a little wobbly. Once we both recovered we both started washing each other.

We both finished and stepped out of the shower, Dimitri grabbed a towel and quickly dried himself off then wrapped the towel around his waist. He then grabbed another towel and dried me off as well as towel drying my hair and then he wrapped a dry towel around me. Dimitri went to the sink and got his shaving kit and started lathering up his face as I jumped on the counter top next to him and proceeded to stare at him still memorized by the site of him shaving.

We finished and then went into our closet to change. Dimitri put a pair of boxer briefs on and then a shirt and sweatpants. I found my black lace bra and panty set and pulled them on and I noticed Dimitri staring at me with look of lust in his eyes. I put on leggings and a long sleeved shirt with some comfy socks.

Dimitri and I had just finished getting dressed when Celeste knocked on the bedroom door and yelled that the pizza was here. We walked out into the kitchen and there were four large pizzas, salads, garlic bread, chicken wings and brownies. I grabbed a little bit of everything and went to sit on the couch where Yuri and Celeste were on one side of the U shaped couch and Dimitri followed me to the other side of the couch. Yuri flipped through the on demand screen on the tv to find a movie. We finally agreed on an action movie, I didn't care what we watch because I was starting to get tired and was not sure how long I would be able to stay awake after dinner.

We all finished dinner and everyone else seemed really into the movie, so I picked up everyone's plate to bring into the kitchen. Dimitri started to get up to help me and I told him to sit back down while I cleaned up. I felt it was the least I could do, since everyone was dragged halfway around the world. I got my phone and put my ear plugs in and started cleaning up the left overs and as Dimitri had done before I split up the brownies for them as I kept a few for myself.

I took a brownie and moaned as they were the best brownies ever and started washing and drying the dishes. Ok, so as I was drying the dishes I was sort of dancing to the music as well. I turned towards the fireplace to see if I could see my gorgeous man sitting on the couch. That's when I saw a guardian I didn't know standing a few feet from me, grinning at me and looking me up and down. I screamed in surprise and dropped the plate that I was drying because I hadn't expected anyone in the kitchen, let alone two feet from me. The only person who usually sneaks up on me is Dimitri and usually I get a whiff of his aftershave first.

"What the fuck!" I screamed as I pulled my headphones out and got into a defensive position. Dimitri ran into the kitchen and pulled the guardian out of the kitchen and tossed him to where Yuri and Celeste guarded him. Dimitri then came up to me and said "Roza, don't move, there is glass everywhere".

I looked down and realized I had cut my foot when I got into a defensive position. Dimitri had shoes on so he picked me up and sat me on the kitchen counter. He took a quick look at my foot to make sure there was no glass in it and then wrapped a towel around my foot.

While he was looking for a broom to sweep the glass up, he dialed Pavel who answered right away. "Pavel, Belikov, some guardian came up to the third floor scared Rose, she dropped a plate and cut her foot." Dimitri barked.

He listened for a minute then he turned to the intruder and asked "What's your name?" Dimitri asked.

"Max" the guardian stated as he was looking at me and then he followed it up with "But Roza you can call me anything you want."

Oh, this isn't going to end well I thought. Dimitri clenched his fist that wasn't holding the phone and he growled "Max what?"

"Max Smirnov" he said as he gave me a creepy smile. One look from Dimitri and Yuri and Celeste took him away from me, I assume to the bottom floor to wait for Pavel.

Dimitri got off the phone with Pavel as he finished sweeping the glass plate up and threw it away. He came over to me and picked me up and brought me into the bathroom n s me down right next to the tub. He opened the cabinet doors looking for a first aid kit and when he found it he knelt down next to me.

"Comrade, you okay?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes" he said, but he wouldn't look me in the eye as he was pulling out supplies.

"Comrade" I said as I put my hand under his chin "Are you okay?"

He finally looked at me and said "No, I didn't like the way he was looking at you, like you were a piece of meat."

"I know, I'm sorry he ruined our night of relaxing." I replied.

"Alright, let's look at this" he said as he unwrapped my foot. He took some fresh gauze and wiped away the blood. It turns out it was just a small cut on the side of my foot that would heal quickly.

"Doesn't look like you will need stitches" Dimitri stated "Let me clean it off and disinfect it, then wrap it up."

As he was doing that, we heard Pavel "Rose, Dimitri where are you?"

"In the bathroom" I yelled to Pavel.

Pavel was at the doorway to the bathroom a few minutes later. "Rose, are you okay?"

"Yeah, when that Max guy scared me, I dropped the plate and got cut." I explained. I could see Dimitri tense up next to me.

"I am sorry Rose, he was initially supposed to meet you tonight and then I had him scheduled to be the guard in your suite while you all rested tonight. Guardian Smirnov did not consult the updated schedule to realize that I was coming over with two different guardians who will be on duty while you are sleeping".

"Dimitri and I will be interviewing guardians to beef up your security tomorrow." Pavel continued.

"Yeah, well I don't want him." I said.

"I understand and I am sorry for the incident" Pavel said. "How is the foot?"

"It should be okay, it does not need stitches. I cleaned and wrapped it, it should heal quickly." Dimitri said. "I'll be right back"

Pavel and Dimitri left and I hobbled on my bad foot to get ready for bed. I was at the sink brushing my teeth when Dimitri came back into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth as well and then he scooped me up and carried me to our bed.

I watched as Dimitri locked our bedroom door and then he went into the other bedroom and locked that door. When he came back to our suite I asked "So Comrade, what pj's should I wear tonight."

Dimitri crawled up on the bed and was hovering over me and said "None" as he kissed me. He put more weight on me, which I loved as he was half on me and half off me. He had one leg between mine with his thigh against my core, the things this man can do to me.

When we needed to breathe, Dimitri started kissing my neck as his hands went to the hem of my shirt as he slowly started to pull it up. He stopped kissing me just long enough to get my shirt off and he pulled his shirt over his head as well. He went back to kissing my neck and slowly made his way down to my chest as his hand went behind me and unclasped my bra. As soon as he pulled my bra away his mouth went to my right breast and his hand went to the left breast.

He licked, sucked and bit my right breast and he ran his thumb over my left breast before he pinched it. He then switched breast as he started rocking his hard-on against my hip, which caused his thigh to rub up against me giving me the friction that I desperately needed.

Once Dimitri was done with my breast, he started kissing back up my neck as his hand went down my abdomen. Initially, his hand went under my leggins but over my underwear. His hand started rubbing and applying pressure right where I needed it.

"Dimitri" I moaned out. As Dimitri pushed my panties aside and his thumb went to my clit and he pushed two fingers into my core. Dimitri groaned at how wet I was and I moaned over the stimulation he was providing me.

"Roza" Dimitri responded "I need you".

The next thing I knew, Dimitri withdrew his fingers and pulled my leggings and panties off in one motion. As he stood to the side of the bed and pulled his pants and boxer briefs off before climbing back on the bed.

"Are you ready Roza? I really need you" Dimitri stated breathlessly.

"Yes" I whispered. It was all I could get out those words at that point. Dimitri was hovering over me again and he had one knee between my legs as he used his other knee to push my legs open wider. He grabbed his cock as he ran it up and down my slit, coating himself with my juices.

Ever the gentleman, Dimitri slowly pushed the head of his cock into me and then he slowly rocked his hips into me. He set a slow pace of pushing into me and then pulling back out and pushing back in until he was all the way in.

"Okay Roza?" he asked.

"So good" I moaned out and I knew my ability to speak was slipping away. I wanted him to pound in to me and give me more friction but with him slowly moving in and out, he was driving me crazy and I was grasping for breath.

Dimitri put more weight on me and his forearms were on either side of my head while he dropped his head to the side of me nestled in my hair. I grabbed his butt, god I loved his man-booty, and encouraged him to go faster.

After a minute or two, Dimitri really started moving inside of me. "Yes" I screamed while he was grunting in my ear and apparently my screaming spurred him on as he was now pounding me like I wanted.

"So close" I said as I knew I was not going to last long and with the noises Dimitri was making, neither was he. I separated my legs farther out and closer to my chest and Dimitri hit a spot that can only be described mind-blowing.

I was breathless "Almost…there….Dimitri" I screamed as I came hard. Dimitri pounded into me a few more times helping me ride out my orgasm and then he let go as he screamed into my hair."

Dimitri collapsed on top of me and we were both gasping for breath. My arms moved up from his butt and I was just caressing his back.

After a few minutes, Dimitri rolled off of me and pulled out of me and I was immediately missing him, but he grabbed for me to roll over and he pulled me to his chest. He was kissing my forehead and the top of my head while he was still slowing down his breathing.

"Roza, that was …..I don't know….I think that was the best sex I have ever had. Thank you for that I needed you".

"I needed you too." I said while smiling up at him. "Oh my god, Comrade, where are the two guardians that Pavel left?" I was pretty worried we were overheard as this was the loudest we had been, neither of us had tried to hold back.

"I had them guard the doors on the first floors as those are the main points of entry. Pavel and I will be discussing security detail at some point." Dimitri responded.

"Okay, maybe we should have had Max stay, then there would be no question as to who I am in love with." I said with a big smile and wiggled my eyebrows.

"Roza, Roza, Roza, such the little devil. Let's get some sleep, it is going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Hey what time is it at court right now?" I asked Dimitri.

"It's about 3pm, why?"

"I wanted to check on Lissa, but I guess it's the middle of the night. I check on her in the morning." I said.

"I love you Roza" Dimitri said while kissing the top of my head.

"I love you too, Comrade" I said as we both fell asleep quickly.


	19. Chapter 19

**So sorry for the wait, thank you to everyone who is reading my story and thank you to all the reviewers I love them.**

Chapter 18: Testing

I awoke to light kisses all over my face and after awhile I finally decided to try and open my eyes and was greeted with the best sight ever, deep chocolate eyes. I stretched and yawned and asked Dimitri what time it was.

"About 7:15 am, I figured we could have breakfast before we head over to the gym" Dimitri stated.

"Okay" I said as I yawned again.

Dimitri and I freshened up and put on workout clothes and headed for the kitchen. Celeste and Yuri were walking up the stairs just as Dimitri and I were entering the kitchen. Celeste and I sat at the kitchen counter while Dimitri and Yuri started making breakfast.

I turned to Celeste and said "I think I can get used to this".

She laughed and said "me too!"

While Dimitri was making blini, he pulled out what we would need for today like water, Gatorade and snacks. "Roza, Celeste why don't you guys get duffle bags and we will fill them up.

Once Celeste and I came back we had started filling them with towels that I had brought from our linen closet. Then we filled them with water, Gatorade and snacks. As soon as our gym bags were ready, Dimitri and Yuri put out food for everyone as well as juice and coffee. While I was not a huge coffee drinker, I had the feeling it was going to be a long day.

At 7:45am, we all went down to the gym where we found Pavel waiting for us. Pavel introduced us to the three other guardians with him explaining that they were retired guardians who continued staying here and that they were going to help with the testing today. "Why don't you start stretching and then we are going to start with a one mile run to warm up" Pavel said.

After stretching, the four of us started jogging around the track initially and then we started increasing our speed. I ran with Dimitri as I was used to keeping pace with him and Celeste ran with Yuri.

Once we finished our warm up, Pavel gavel us instructions "This is an individual five mile time test, while you are running together, do not pace yourself with anyone else." We lined up then Pavel yelled "Go."

We all raced out and after about a lap, Dimitri took the lead, I followed behind him then Celeste and Yuri. Celeste and Yuri were about half a lap behind me and I was trailing about 20 feet behind Dimitri.

Once we finished running, the guardian who timed us came over to each of us to help us with stretching after our run. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell that Dimitri was not happy about this. I noticed the guardian helping me stretch kept looking at me like he had a question he wanted to ask me. So I started and I asked "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Guardian Chris Brown" he stated.

"How long have you worked for my father?" I asked.

"About twenty years" he replied.

"So, I take it that you knew me when I was little?"

"Oh yes and you were the most adorable trouble maker ever" he laughed.

I laughed at that too "I wish I could remember".

"Maybe after being around your old home it will bring back the memories." He stated.

"Hopefully, but maybe when you have some time you could tell me about yourself and how I was when I was little?" I stated.

"I would love too." He said.

Pavel then announced that we were going to do timed sit-ups and pushups. The guardian who helped us stretch after our run was going to count our sit ups and pushups. The four of us were pretty even matched on number of sit-ups but Celeste and I dominated on pull-ups, probably because Dimitri and Yuri had more weight due to their muscular physique.

The next thing we did was stake training on a bunch of dummies. As usual, Dimitri was spot on each time, Celeste and Yuri were even matched and well I sucked at it. I tried to remind myself that I had not had a lot of training with stakes at the Academy as Dimitri had only started teaching me about a week before we left for Russia.

We moved onto weapons training where I sat out because I had no experience with guns and knives. Pavel came over to me while the others were practicing and said "Don't worry Rose, most guardians are not proficient in weapons training because it is not effective against strigoi but they are useful against humans."

"Gotcha" I said. As I watched Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri I realized that while they had some experience they would probably need more practice as well.

The last stage of our testing was sparring. Pavel explained that he wanted to test us after everything we had done because he wanted to see how we fought when we were fatigued because it would give him an idea how we would do in a battle.

Pavel explained that we could choose our sparring partner from a group of guardians but he wanted to make sure the guardian we choose was either equally matched or better than us. I was interested to see who would spar with Dimitri since he was a Blood Master 7. When Pavel asked us who wanted to go first I jumped at the chance, since I saw Max in the group and I really wanted to wipe that smirk off his face.

I raised my hand first and Pavel asked "Who do you want to spar?"

"I want to fight Max" I said. I was ready to put him on his ass. I knew Dimitri wanted to do the same thing but then it would look like my overprotective boyfriend fighting my battles.

I looked behind me and saw Pavel and Yuri chuckling and Celeste gave me a wink. And unfortunately Dimitri looked quite tense first due to the proximity I would be to Max and secondly because I think Dimitri wanted to put him on his ass as well.

I walked into the sparring ring and as Max approached me he said "Roza, are you sure you want to do this? I mean I am a Blood Master 2".

"First of all, my boyfriend is the only person who calls me Roza. My friends call me Rose and my instructors call me Novice Hathaway. You do not fit into any of those categories, so you can all me Miss Mazur" I said as I heard a few chuckles behind me.

"And secondly, I fight Guardian Belikov at least twice a day and he is a Blood Master 7 and I take him down at least once a day. So feel free to give it your best shot."

Even before we started, I noticed a small group forming around us to watch the fight. I ran through everything Dimitri had taught me, first what were his strengths as a fighter: height, weight and experience came to my mind immediately. Then I thought about what his weaknesses were: he was cocky, he was underestimating my abilities and he was playing to the crowd.

I figured that he would be going on the offense, so I was going on the defensive. I knew he was going to count on me being fatigued and try to use that to his advantaged. However, my plan was to try and tire him out. Dimitri had always said that it took more effort to hit and miss then landing a hit.

While Max wasn't Dimitri's height, but he was still much taller than me and Dimitri told me that fighting up close would put Max at a disadvantage because of his arm spam.

Max and I got into position and Pavel said "You are going to fight three times, no hits above the neck and the timer is set for 15 minutes. Okay"

We all nodded our head as we agreed. "Go" Pavel said.

As expected Max went on the offense, he charged towards me trying to hit my shoulder, but as he did that I spun so he missed me but I was able to kick him on the side of his ribs. I knew I made a good hit since I heard a hiss. Next Max tried to punch me straight on using a combination of right punch, left punch then a swift kick with his leg. I was able to defend his punches and his kick. But I saw an opening when he tried to kick me, his balance was off, so I lunged at him and he went down and I put my hand on his chest over his heart and Pavel said "Dead".

I got up off of Max and I reached my hand to help him up which he took but he had this look on his face like was really mad that I had beaten him. We got back into our stance and when Pavel said go, Max went back on the offensive. I kept deflecting all of his hits and I could see he was starting to tire out so I did a roundhouse kick which caused him to fall on his front, so I quickly dropped down on his back and simulated a stake through his back. Pavel again said "dead".

I got off of him and offered him a hand to get up but he wouldn't take it and he wouldn't even look at me. I took a minute to look around, Dimitri gave me the best smile, Yuri gave me an air fist pump and Celeste was silently clapping.

I told myself only one more takedown but I was definitely getting tired. Max and I faced off for the third time and I thought that I would go on the offense this time because Max might think I would be on the defensive again. As soon as Pavel said go, I lunged at Max and hit him in the right shoulder and then I turned around and hit his left shoulder and then kicked him in the ribs.

Max grabbed my foot that I had kicked him with and pulled my foot past him causing me to lose my balance and I landed on my back. Max was on top of me, one knee between my legs and a hand on my chest to simulate staking me. I knew Dimitri would not like the position I was in. But Pavel stepped in quickly gave a hand to get Max off of me and then Pavel helped me get up.

Pavel declared me the winner and I heard some clapping and shouting from my group but when I looked around I saw other guardians doing the same thing. I guess Max wasn't liked by everyone.

DPOV

I was a little nervous when Roza picked Max to spar with. I hoped that if she beat him maybe he would leave her alone. I just did not like her that close to him and him touching her even though it was only sparing. Plus I wanted nothing more than to take him out because of his attitude last night and due to him trying to hit on Rose in front of everyone and even in front of Pavel.

As I was watching Roza, I was making some mental notes on some moves we needed to review in our training. I took a quick glance at Pavel and realized he was doing the same thing. We had tentatively set up a meeting around 2 pm to discuss security and training.

Roza staked Max for the second time and it brought my mind back to the present. I watched Roza turning to look at us to gage how she was doing. I gave her big smile, Yuri was fist pumping the air and Celeste was clapping. I was thinking that after graduation we needed to test her for Blast Master or possibly Blood Master.

Roza had defeated Max staking him twice and he only managed to stake her once. They shook hands afterwards and I hoped that would be the end of his flirting but only time will tell. Roza came over to stand next to me and I gave her a kiss and a big hug and I whispered to her in her ear "I am so proud of you". She rewarded me with her gorgeous smile.

Celeste was up next to spar and again I saw some techniques that we could work on as I watched her fight. I took a quick look at Pavel and noticed he was writing a note about Celeste's fighting skills. And then I was looking at Yuri, I noticed he looked tense as Celeste sparred. No doubt he wanted to step in just as I had wanted to do with Roza.

Celeste did well, she staked her opponent once and he had staked her once as well, but the final was a draw as they had fought for the allotted time and neither had staked each other.

Yuri was next to spar and I was surprised at his skills. Truth be told, I had never really paid attention to him when he sparred at St. Vlad's and he and I had only sparred once or twice. He was able to stake his opponent three times but I could tell Yuri was tiring.

I was excited to have him on my team as he was a good fighter. Celeste was a good fighter as well and she is beneficial to the team as her being female she could guard areas that Yuri and I could not go. I think the whole team could benefit from increasing our endurance.

It was now my turn to spar and while my opponent was much like me tall and muscular. I was still taller and had more muscle mass. I was able to stake him three times in rapid succession when we were done, I gave him a hand up. He seemed like a kind man, not much older than me. He congratulated me on my wins and even asked if we could spar again in the future so he could get more practice. I told him yes, as I had more respect for him as he wanted to improve his fighting techniques rather than Max who was just cocky.

Once we were done with sparring Pavel said "We are done for the day and I had some food sent to your suite for lunch. Dimitri, I will see you in about an hour at 2pm to go over training and security".  
"Yes, I will see you then." I responded.

The four of us headed back to the suite, Yuri and Celeste went off to their rooms on the second floor, while Roza and I went to the third floor. I noticed that there were people putting out food for lunch.

I directed Roza towards our suite and I locked the doors. We both went to the bathroom and started shedding our clothes. I turned on the shower almost to the hottest setting as I took Roza's hand and guided her into the shower with me.

While I would have loved to have some shower sex again, both of us were exhausted from our evaluations and I was due to meet with Pavel in an hour and I was starving as well as Roza as her stomach was letting us know. And I am sure Roza was sore due to sparring with Max.

I made a mental note that we should use the bath tub tonight and maybe a massage depending on how she felt. I walked out of the shower and dried myself off then wrapped the towel around my waist. I grabbed two towels for Roza as she was just finishing rinsing her hair. I gave her the towels as I went over to shave since I hadn't this morning. As before she hopped up on the counter to watch me shave, a small part of me loved the fact that she wanted to watch me shave and just wanted to spend time with me. But the other part of me was sad, as this was not an experience she had growing up, since most children would watch their father or grandfathers shave.

I finished shaving and cleaning up the mess from the sink. I then planted the softest kiss on Roza's lips and said "Come on let's get dressed and then you get fed."

Her stomach growled right on cue as we both laughed at that, I went and picked up our shredded clothing. We went into the bedroom and I put on cargo pants, a long sleeved t-shirt and boots and I pulled my hair into a pony tail at the nape of my neck. Roza dressed similar but added a zipped up hoodie and she left her hair out.

"Roza, I have a question for you." I stated.

"What is it" She said as she came over to me.

"I was thinking and it is totally up to you. I don't want to pressure you" I ranted nervously.

"Comrade, it's okay you can tell me anything" Roza said.

I said "I was thinking about turning the other bedroom into a to study for you. We could get a desk maybe a couple comfy chairs and maybe a bookshelf for my westerns."

"I think that is a great idea, we can talk to Pavel or Baba this afternoon." Roza said.

RPOV

Before either of us could say anything else my stomach made this huge rumble. Dimitri laughed and guided me out of the room and to the kitchen. There were sandwiches, salads, soups and brownies for dessert.

As I was eating, my mind began to wonder about Lissa. Just then Dimitri nudged me and I shook my head trying to get to the present.

"Sorry Comrade, I didn't mean to zone out" I said.

"Is everything okay, is Lissa okay?" Dimitri asked.

"I think everything is okay, I wasn't in Lissa's head, I just zoned out. A normal zoning out, nothing to worry about." I explained to Dimitri because he was worried about me.

Dimitri and I finished up our lunch and washed our dishes. We said goodbye to Celeste and Yuri as we headed to Pavel's office. Dimitri had his notebook with him that I know he had written some ideas to improve my training. We climbed up to the third floor and knocked on the door, it was immediately opened.

"Rose, Dimitri come on in and take a seat. Dimitri and I sat in the chairs in front of Pavel's desk as he took a seat behind the desk.

"So, we have a lot to discuss." Pavel stated. "First thing on the agenda is your schooling Rose; obviously we will be able to test your physical abilities. But for your lecture classes, Alberta has set it up so that your teachers will film the lecture and then you can watch the lecture on-line. Any assignments that need to be done will be emailed to you from your teachers. Any exams that you need to take will be monitored by Dimitri, Celeste or Yuri."

"Okay" I responded "Dimitri and I were talking and we thought we could turn the bedroom in my suite into a study area because there is really no designated space to do school work."

"That sounds like a good idea, you have the credit card from your father, so just order what you would like and let me know the delivery date and I will have guardians help with the delivery. Your father asked me to let you know feel free to make any changes to your suite, like maybe painting it. He wants you to know it is your space to do whatever you would like." Pavel said.

"Thank you" I responded" I said. "Where are Baba and my mother?"

Pavel said "Your parents have gone to his house in Moscow; he wanted to test the waters by being seen with your mother. We are tracking the amount threats to see if it is safe to have you be seen in the public."

I looked over at Dimitri and he gave my hand a squeezed and I looked down at are hands interlocked. I didn't even know that he had taken my hand and it just made me love him even more, he always knows what I need.

"Okay, let's talk about the testing from today. Dimitri here are copies of my notes so that you can go over the results with Celeste and Yuri" Pavel stated.

"Thank you" Dimitri said.

Pavel turned back to me and said "Rose, you have done an excellent job. You exceeded all of my expectations for you and I am sure this is due to Dimitri's training. My assessment for you is that we need to continue your endurance training, sparring with different guardians and also start sparring with multiple opponents. We need to begin weapons training, as the academies do not introduce them. We will do more staking and then start you with gun and knife training. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good to me, Dimitri what do you think?" I said.

Dimitri responded "That was along the same thing that I was thinking. The only other thoughts that I had was about particular moves that we needed to work on. My plan was to train Rose from 6am to 10 am, then work on schoolwork and lunch then train her again from 4om to 6pm."

Pavel stated "That sounds good I will make sure that the gym and any area you need for training is available. Guardian Brown is in charge of the gym, if you need anything let him know. I am going to leave it to you to organize her schooling, and if you need anything let me know."

We both nodded and Pavel continued "Dimitri, being a Blood Master 7, there is not much more we need to improve on, except maybe weapons training since I am sure the Academy did not give you the opportunity to train. Otherwise just keep up with your Blood Master 7 requirements and maybe spar with some of our guardians."

Dimitri and I both looked at each other and seemed to silently agree on the plan. We turned our attention back to Pavel who then handed both of us folders.

"Here are the bios of the guardians that have requested to work for Abe. The guardians that are currently working for us know that this assignment is to guard Rose. Their bios are on the left side of the folders. The bios on the right side are guardians who are interested in working for Abe, but do not know that the assignment is Rose." Pavel continued.

"I have prescreened them and think these candidates might be possible options. Please look through them and let me know tomorrow after lunch. I want four more guardians along with Yuri and Celeste and they will be living in house with you. Then I would like you to pick up four back up guardians. With everything that has happened with the recent threats plus now Tasha has escaped as well, I would feel better having extra guardians." Pavel explained.

Dimitri and I both nodded in agreement with what Pavel was saying.

"As I stated before, Rose, you will have a guardian with you at all times while in the compound and when you leave the compound you will have at least four guardians with you. All requests to leave the compound needs to go thru either me or your father for security risks, most likely we will agree to let you leave, we just want to make sure you are safe."

"Dimitri, you will be responsible for anyone on your team, in terms of training and guarding. Any last minute changes to guarding must go thru me or Abe. Any questions?"

I shook my head and Dimitri did the same.

"Great, but feel free to call me if you do have any questions."

With that we went back to our suite and started looking for furniture before we started looking at the bio's of potential guardians.

We grabbed the lap top and my new credit card and we sat on our bed and started looking for furniture stores in the area. Since most of the stores on the website were in Russian, Dimitri helped me by reading out any important information. We ended up getting a desk that was big enough for my computer and to work on any assignments. We got to comfy chairs that we thought would good on the other side of the desk. That way who ever had to monitor my exams would be comfortable.

The last piece of furniture we looked for was a bookshelf for Dimitri's western novels. We found one that was the same type of wood as the desk.

Dimitri texted Pavel when the furniture would be delivered and the paint that we had ordered and he responded that he would get guardians to move the current furniture away, then paint the room and then unpack the furniture while we were working out.

"Why don't you log into your St Vladimir's website and see if you have been sent any work yet." Dimitri stated.

"Ugh, why can't Baba just buy a library or something else that was needed and they can just graduate me?" I asked Dimitri.

"No" Dimitri stated "You are so close to graduating, let's just get you started".

"Okay" I said as I logged into my account and saw a lecture from Stan and of course there was a paper to do. I had a few other assignments to do as well. I started in on my assignments while Dimitri pulled out a western novel and started reading. We were sitting side by side and he would kiss me on my temple or on the top of my head or run his finger thru my hair. I could tell he wanted to keep our physical connection.

After a few hours, Dimitri pulled me from my work and told me it was dinner time. I looked at the time and realized I had gotten a lot of my work done. Dimitri asked "Where do you want to eat Roza?"

"I don't know where do you want to eat?" I asked.

"I was thinking let's eat dinner here than maybe movie?" Dimitri said.

"Sounds good Comrade" I said as we walked out of our bedroom "what do you want for dinner?"

"Well I ordered steaks, salads and bread from the kitchen and Celeste and Yuri are going to join us." Dimitri said.

"When did you do that Comrade, you were just reading with me as I did work." I said.

"Guardian secrets" Dimitri said as I shook my head at him.

We walked into the kitchen to find a few staff setting up the dining room. We were greeted by the staff and Dmitri and I sat down side by side as Yuri and Celeste came up the stairs and both of them sat across from Dimitri and me.

I couldn't figure out what Dimitri was doing as he wasn't dishing out the food and I was starving as my stomach reminded the table that I was. As soon as all the servers had left, Dimitri got up from the table and grabbed a bottle of wine and 4 glasses. He gave us each a wine glass and then he proceeded to fill them all, when he came to me he said "The drinking age in Russia is 18 years old."

"I like that rule"I said as everyone laughed with me. We ate dinner and talked about the testing that we had done today, most of the talking was about sparing with the guardians. When we were done with dinner, we all cleaned up and then we went into the living room and picked out a movie to watch. I was curled up with Dimitri and Yuri had an arm around Celeste's shoulders. I realized that they were trying to be close but be respectful of their jobs.

When we finished watching the movie, we all decided to go to bed. When Dimitri and I were in our bedroom, he turned me to him and encircled his arms around me and gave me a quick kiss and he said "I am going to go and meet with the guardians and I thought maybe you could start filling the bathtub for?"

"OMG that would feel good so good right now." I responded. Dimitri gave me a quick kiss and left to go downstairs. I know Dimitri talked with Pavel that he wanted the two night guardians to sit near the two entrances.

I walked into the bathroom and turned both faucets on to find the best temperature; once I found it I then put a little bubble bath. I lighted candles around the bath tub and around the bathroom. I quickly went out to the bedroom and turned off the lights, and then I went to the closet to shed my clothing and then went to the bathroom to slide into the bath tub to wait for Dimitri to return.

The water in the bath tub was so good that I moaned as I got in. Then I heard "Roza you can't moan like that, you know what it does to me."

I looked up to find my Russian God staring at me with lust in his eyes. He turned my attention to the two glasses and a bottle of wine. Dimitri said "Roza you must have read my mind" as he pointed to the candles around the bathtub. Dimitri filled a glass of wine for me and handed it to me and then he poured one for himself and set it on the ledge of the bath tub and also put the bottle on the shelf so that it was in easy reach.

"Comrade you are wearing too much clothing" I said.

"Oh, really?" He said as he took off his shirt and then his pants, it was the first time I realized he had already taken his shoes off in the bedroom. I am sure that I was drooling as I looked at his body up and down. The last thing he took off was his boxer briefs and there was a sizable bulge in them. So when Dimitri's boxer briefs were off I said "Happy Comrade".

"Very happy" he responded as he got in the tub across from me. He grabbed his wine glass and then he clinked glasses with me. We started talking about life when he asked "Have you seen how Lissa is doing? It should be about 8 am there."

"No I haven't, but if I go in to head, can you make sure I don't drown in here" I asked.

"Of course, I'll keep watch of you." Dimitri said.

I went into Lissa's head and she was in a room I had never seen it appeared to be a living room. Christian was there as well as Adrian. Lissa and Christian had appeared to be studying as they were now at court studying from there.

I could tell that the darkness was building up in her but I didn't to take any tonight as I wanted to enjoy tonight with Dimitri. But I figured I would tell Dimitri about it so I could take it from her during training.

I could tell Lissa was anxiously watching Adrian who was pacing around with a bottle of vodka in his hand. He didn't look like he had slept much lately as he had dark circles under his eyes. Adrian was asking Lissa while he was pacing back and forth "Lissa are you sure you can't get to Rose, why can't you call her?"

"Adrian as I have said, I have no way to contact her thru the bond it is only one way, and her father has given her a new cellphone but she did not give us her number and she didn't tell any of us where she was going" Lissa said.

Christian stepped in and said "Adrian, Lissa and I are going to finish our Moroi homework and then go to bed, maybe we can see you tomorrow."

"Okay, I will see you both tomorrow" Adrian said and walked towards the door.

As Adrian left I could feel a big relief in Lissa. Something was obviously going on with Adrian, maybe in the morning I could call her to see what was going on at Court. I could hear Lissa internal rant and the feelings she most had was about sex with Christian. That was my clue to get out of her head and distract myself for at least an hour.

I got out of her head and came back to the bathroom, the tub and the best thing was Dimitri. Dimitri had put his wine glass down and he had my foot in his hands and was massaging it. I moaned in agreement as Dimitri put one foot down then picked up my other foot and started massaging it. I took a sip from my wine and just enjoyed being here with Dimitri. He had asked me about Lissa, and I explained about Adrian and the darkness even though I had intended to speak with him tomorrow about it. I joked that Lissa had sex on her mind and how I knew that was my cue to get out of her head.

As I was sipping the wine, Dimitri's hands kept going higher and higher on my leg. I was torn between letting him keep massaging by body or having sex with him. As always, Dimitri could read my mind he stated "How about a massage Roza, I am sure your body must be sore after today."

"Yes, that sounds so good right now." I responded. Dimitri and I got up and dried ourselves off. I had a towel wrapped around me as Dimitri led me out into our bedroom. He went to the thermostat and turned up the temperature, then he went to the bathroom and brought out some of the candles and placed then around the bedroom.

Dimitri leaned down and kissed me passionately and I would have fallen if he wasn't holding me up. He guided me towards the bed and he had me lie on the bed and he got on next to me and took my towel and placed it on the lower half of my body to keep me warm.

He picked up one of my body lotions and squirted a small amount on his hands and then he started to rub my shoulders.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Darkness

I moaned as soon as Dimitri's hands met my shoulders, his hands were so warm and so strong. He was working out the knots that had formed from our level of intense workouts. His thumbs started rubbing down my spine, occasionally stopping to massage a knot that he could feel. I kept moaning because he was hitting all the right spots and he groaned "Roza, you can't keep moaning like that, it's driving me crazy."

"Sorry, Comrade" I said as I laughed "but you keep hitting the right spots".

Once he hit the base of my spine, his hands came back up to my shoulders, then he went to my arms and was rubbing down to my hands. He started rubbing on the outside of my back. When he got to the base of my spine where my towel was, I felt the loss of his hands and then shortly after I felt the loss of my towel. I shivered; it was partly due to the loss of the warmth but also the anticipation of what he was about to do.

The first thing I felt was the towel being draped over my back, next I heard Dimitri squeeze the lotion bottle on his hands. The bed dipped by my feet and then Dimitri starting to massage my right calf and I moaned again. I could feel Dimitri falter while he massaged my calf as he let out a groan.

"Roza, you are killing me." Dimitri said.

All I could do is giggle at him, until his hands started in on my thigh and he was getting higher up my leg. Once he got to the top of my thigh, he paused and then I felt an open mouth kiss on my right butt cheek. I turned my head into my pillow and practically screamed. I was so turned on that any touch was driving me crazy and went straight to my core.

The next thing that I felt were his hands on my left calf and by the time he got to my left knee I was shaking. He hadn't even touched me where I needed him the most.

"You okay Roza" Dimitri asked with that deep accent he gets when he is turned on.

"Oh god" I screamed into the pillow as Dimitri was massaging my thigh and then he placed an open mouth kiss on my left butt cheek as his hands reached the apex of my thighs where he brushed my clit and I shuddered. He was finally were I needed him, but the contact was too little for my release.

"Comrade please" I moaned at him.

"Yes Roza" Dimitri said as he was kissing up my spine "Tell me what you need."

"I need you, please." I begged.

Dimitri turned me over and gave me a passionate kiss. He then started kissing down my neck and then down between my breasts. I tried pushing my breasts towards his mouth, but he stopped kissing me and said, "Not yet Roza, I have another destination in mind."

Dimitri kissed down my stomach and he positioned himself between my legs and he spread my legs apart. He started kissing me on my right inner thigh, slowly getting closer to my core which was dripping wet by now.

"Roza, you smell so good, I am going to kiss you here" he said while his mouth was so close to my clit that I could feel his hot breath on my pussy. My hips bucked involuntary when I felt his breath and he placed arm across my lower abdomen to keep me in place.

His tongue licked my clit for the first time which caused me to moan and open my legs further to him, which he in turn groaned at. "Oh my god Comrade" I said breathlessly.

"Are you doing okay, Roza?" Dimitri asked with a thick accent.

"Uh, huh" I moaned as I was beyond any ability to form words.

After that Dimitri went to town lapping at my clit using his tongue to circle around my clit. He used his tongue to penetrate me and then he started the process all over again. I was too excited to last long at this rate and as my breathing hitched, Dimitri concentrated on lapping at my clit as I felt two fingers pumping in and out of me. Within minutes I was coming hard as Dimitri continued his ministrations, helping to prolonging my orgasm.

As I recovered, Dimitri climbed up my body kissing my abdomen and then between my breast. He finally kissed his way to my right breast where his mouth enveloped my nipple lightly sucking it as his hand cupped my other breast. God how could this man make me so turned on again so soon, he truly was a god.

"Dimitri" I moaned.

"Hmm" he said as he kissed across my chest to repeat the same actions on my left breast with his hand going to my right breast.

When he felt that my breast had had enough attention, he began kissing up my neck and said with his thick accent "Roza, I'll try to make it last, but I am so turned on right now."

"Me too, Comrade, me too. I am not sure how long I will last" I said as Dimitri mouth overtook my mouth and he penetrated me at the same time. My cry of ecstasy was absorbed by his mouth as he set up a brutal pace. It did not take long for my body to tense up signaling the start of my orgasm and Dimitri followed very quickly after me. He rested his full weight on me as we both came down from our high. I loved feeling the full weight of Dimitri on me after our love making and shortly thereafter, he rolled off me, but he pulled me with him. We both fell asleep quickly as exhaustion from the day consumed us.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I was sleeping when I was pulled into Lissa's head. She was dreaming about the accident that killed her family again, but it seemed darker. She was seeing it from the other driver's point of view, and it was Christian in the driver's seat and he was laughing like a crazy person saying he was trying to kill her and her family.

Lissa finally woke up and saw Christian above her trying to wake her up. But instead of being relieved she screamed out of fear. I was able to get out of her head once she was calmed down by her guardians. Back in my head, I extricated myself from Dimitri and put on his t-shirt and my panties. I grabbed my new phone and went out to sit on the couch while I called Lissa.

Lissa answered and said "Rose, you have to help me Christian's trying to kill me."

"Liss, calm down, he's not trying to hurt you, okay! You were just having a nightmare about the accident. Have you been practicing a lot of Spirit at Court?"

Lissa replied happier "Oh yes Rose, Adrian and I have been working at it a lot."

I saw Dimitri walking towards me in a pair of sweatpants and shirtless looking incredibly sexy, but I was trying not to let myself get distracted. I put my index finger to my lips to let him know to be quiet, then I mouthed "Lissa".

He nodded and sat down next to me picking up my legs and lying them across his lap.

I put the phone on speaker so Dimitri could hear Lissa's ranting dialogue. I watched as Dimitri took out his phone and started texting.

"Lissa, you just had a bad dream, Christian wasn't driving the other car."

"Are you sure" Lissa asked.

"Yes, I got pulled into your head. Christian is not trying to hurt you Liss. I think it is the darkness from you practicing spirit with Adrian." I stated.

"But we have been doing so well with the Spirit" Lissa pleaded.

"I know Lissa but remember there is a consequence to using Spirit" I reminded her.

Dimitri kissed the top of my head and he headed back to our room. I was enjoying the view of his bare back and his ass, while I let Lissa rant. But to keep watching my man I had to lean over the side of the couch and maybe I fell over it to the floor.

"Roza" Dimitri asked as he turned around and saw me on the floor.

"Rose, what happened" Lissa asked.

"Nothing Lissa, I just dropped my phone, I'll call you later today okay?"

"Okay Rose, bye" Lissa said.

"Bye Liss" I said and I hung up the phone as I laid on my back, just then Yuri's head came into view.

"Hey Rose, whatcha doing?" Yuri asked me with a smirk on his face.

"Hey Yuri, just talking on the phone to Lissa, what are you doing" I said nonchalantly.

"Coming to get breakfast with you guys" Yuri said.

That's when Dimitri came into view. "Roza, what were you really doing?" he said with a smirk on his face and his eyebrow raised.

"Do I have to tell you?" I asked with my best maneater smile.

"Yes Roza, what were you doing when you fell over the couch" Dimitri asked. I could tell he was seconds from losing it.

"I was watching you walk down the hallway" I said hoping that would be enough of an explanation.

"What part of me were you watching Roza?" Dimitri said with a thicker accent.

"Your ass Comrade, I was staring at your ass when I fell over the couch, happy." I yelled out.

Both Dimitri and Yuri started laughing and Yuri was actually on the floor laughing, but Dimitri picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"Oh, this is a much better view" I said happily.

Dimitri plopped me down on our bed and says "Come on, let's get ready for training. I told Pavel what was going on with Lisa. He told me to get Yuri and Celeste up and we are meeting him in the main dining area. Pavel said he was going to let Court know what is going on with the Princess."

I nodded and went into the closet to get dressed, and then I felt strong arms surround me from behind.

"Talk to me Roza" Dimitri whispers in my ear.

I turned around in his arms.

"Sorry Comrade, I love Lissa, really I do but sometimes it's a …" I paused.

"I know Roza, I'm sorry for everything you have to go through. Do you think you can take just a little darkness" Dimitri asked?

"Yes" I responded even though I wasn't sure I was actually telling him the truth.

"Let's get dressed" Dimitri said as I pouted at him because I didn't want him to cover up his lovely chiseled chest.

"No pouting" he said in his mentor tone.

This only made my pout get bigger. Dimitri leaned in and then lightly bit my lip and cupped my face as I closed my eyes and just as he was about to deepen the kiss, he said "Get dressed Roza".

"Tease" I said as I got dressed.

"That my dear Roza is not teasing. But if you like, tonight, I can show you teasing." Dimitri said as he looked at me with lust and a little bit of a challenge.

"Maybe, what time is it anyways?" I looked at my phone and saw that it was 4:30am. "Ugh, 4:30, it's like back at the academy."

"Roza, you were never up this early at the academy." Dimitri said shaking his head.

"True, but at the academy, you were not keeping me up late at night." I replied.

"Do you like me keeping you up at night?" Dimitri countered raising his eyebrow up at me.

"Yup" I replied.

Dimitri and I finished getting dressed before we could take our bantering any further. As I was putting my sneakers on, Dimitri took our gym bags and stocked them and then the four of us left to meet Pavel in the main dining area.

I was surprised that there were so many guardians in the dining area at this time. I got nervous as we walked in because the level of the noise dropped to almost a whisper. Dimitri, my rock in this ever-changing world, put his arm around my shoulder pulled me closer to him and directed me to an empty table.

"I'll get us food" Dimitri said as he headed to a buffet station.

"Thanks Comrade" I said, I love how he noticed the little things.

Yuri went with Dimitri to get food for him and Celeste and I said to her "Sorry for the early morning."

"No problem, we have switched from moroi time to human time plus flown to the other side of the world. With the jet lag I am still trying to adjust" Celeste said wearily. "I think coffee is in order for all of us".

Dimitri and Yuri came back with plates piled high with food for Celeste and me. Dimitri then got us juice, water and coffee for the both of us. I swear sometimes I think Dimitri can anticipate my needs even before I know what I want.

I started picking at my food, the stress and worry of taking Lissa's darkness was starting to get to me and I was losing my appetite.

Dimitri whispered in my ear "Eat Roza, at least a little bit so you have some energy and we'll take the afternoon off and I will make you anything you want. Actually, I have a better idea." Dimitri said as he took his phone out and started texting someone.

"Like what?" I eyed him.

"You'll find out" he said with a smirk.

Dimitri got up to refill his coffee mug at the same time that Pavel entered the dining area. He obviously commanded respect from the guardians that worked for Baba and him as the dining area became quiet. As soon as Pavel sat down at our table the room of guardians went back to eating and quiet conversations.

"Morning Rose" Pavel stated with a hint of concern.

"Morning Pavel" I responded.

"Celeste, Yuri" Pavel stated with authority.

Celeste and Yuri responded almost in sync "Pavel".

Just then Dimitri sat down next to me, he had his coffee and then placed a mug of hot chocolate and two chocolate donuts in front of me.

"Thanks Comrade" I said.

Pavel started "So Dimitri informed me that Lissa is experiencing darkness from using spirit and that Rose can take it away. We are getting some experts out here to help us explain about Spirit but let me know about your personal experience."

"Roza, why don't you start" Dimitri said as he grabbed my hand for support.

"When I go into Lissa's head after she has used a lot of spirit, I notice that she has a buildup of darkness, the darkness takes the form of negative thoughts and she starts cutting. When I take it from her, I also have the negative thoughts, but I just usually want to spar" I said as Dimitri squeezed my hand.

Pavel looked at Dimitri and asked "How are her fighting skills when she takes the darkness."

"Rose has less focus and her hits become sloppy, but her power about doubles" Dimitri stated as he squeezed then kissed the hand that he was holding. "It took a lot for me to take her down" he said as he looked at me.

"Sorry Comrade" I said as I looked down at my uneaten donuts and realized I had no appetite."

"Roza" Dimitri said "look at me" as he put his hand under my chin. "It's no big deal, we can't change the fact that you are bonded with Lissa, so we will face these obstacles together." I took a deep breath and nodded.

Pavel spoke "This is what I am planning and let me know what you think. It sounds like sparring is the best and only way you know how to diffuse the darkness at this point. I suggest that Rose will be surrounded by four guardians to spar with so that we can wear her out and then there will be two extra guardians in each group that can be swapped out."

Dimitri pulled my chair with me in it closer to him and he put his arm around my shoulders and kissed my temple as he asked "Can we have the place cleared; she can be taunting like a strigoi".

"Oh god Comrade, what did I say?" I asked dreading the answer.

"Nothing that I didn't deserve at the time" Dimitri responded as he kissed the top of my head. Dimitri continued "Guardian Walker, who I sparred with, can he be the fourth guardian in the first group with us?"

"Yes, I had the same thought. Let's head on over. I have the groups all set up and one of the doctors are standing by if needed, plus four retired guardians will be advising when to swap out guardians. Dimitri, since you know Rose the best, you and I will be calling the shots" Pavel stated.

"Come on Roza" Dimitri said as he picked up our duffle bags and tucked me under his arm. He led me over to the gym and once inside I noticed there were about 15 guardians stretching out, waiting for us.

"Celeste, Yuri, do you mind giving us a few minutes" Dimitri asked.

"No problem" Yuri said as he and Celeste walked over to where the rest of the guardians were gathering and they started stretching.

Dimitri pulled me over to the side and said "Just take a little at a time so you can blow it off slowly. Christian will be watching Lissa with the guardians and let us know how Lissa is doing." Dimitri paused and then said "You don't even have to do this if you don't want to, but I know you and I know you love her and want to help her".

He dropped his forehead to me and said "I love you more than I ever thought possible and I don't want to lose you to darkness".

"I know, I love you too. Just don't let me hurt anyone okay?" I took a deep breath and asked "Why don't I remember saying bad things to you and how bad was it."

"I don't know why you don't remember, it was just after Spokane and there was a lot going on."

"You are not answering the other part of the question" I pointed out.

"I know, but we can talk about it later." Dimitri stated.

"Can I ask a you a question?"

"Anything"

"What is the first thing that you want to do as a couple now that we are in your hometown?" I asked.

"That's easy, I want to take you on a real date. There is a restaurant/bar that has dancing after 10 pm that I would really like to take you to. What do you think, are you interested?"

"Yes, that sounds perfect" I said "If you have to talk me down talk about that okay?"

"Okay, should I describe the outfit I want you to wear?" Dimitri said with a smirk on his face as he raised one eyebrow.

"I am sure Pavel can't wait to hear that" I smirked back at him.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that part, I leave that out until later." Dimitri said.

Dimitri gave me the sweetest kiss ever, but it ended to soon. He gave me a hug and whispered in my ear "I love you with all my heart, Roza"

I whispered back "I love you too Comrade".

As I went to get myself ready, I saw Dimitri and Pavel whispering back and forth. Hmm, I wondered what that was about. I went to the middle of the mat and I was surrounded by Dimitri, Celeste, Yuri and Guardian Walker. There were two guardians behind each of them to tag out if needed. Every group had a retired guardian to watch the guardians in their group and Pavel was overseeing it all.

I looked at Dimitri and he nodded and said "Whenever you are ready Rose". I closed my eyes and found Lissa, she was in her bedroom at court and beside Christian there were five guardians. She was screaming at Christian saying that she was cheating on him. Yeah right, Christian would never cheat on her.

I could feel the darkness in Lissa's head and there was a lot of it, so I started by taking a little. I opened my eyes and I caught Dimitri's attention "Rose, how are you feeling?"

"Okay, so far, she has a lot of darkness, she is screaming at Christian that he is cheating."

"Do you want to spar with the darkness that you took or do you want to take a little more?" Dimitri asked.

"Let me take a little more" I said and when I opened eyes again, I looked around trying to decide who I wanted to fight and I realized at that point I had taken too much darkness.

Dimitri stepped forward going on the defensive but I hadn't seen Guardian Walker step up behind me. I rushed Dimitri punching his right shoulder twisting away from him and hitting his left shoulder before trying to land a kick to his ribs. Dimitri knew all my moves too well and easily defended my attacks. But it was a double edge sword as I knew all his moves as well. As we separated and went back into a fight stance facing each other getting ready for our next attack, I caught a slight nod that Dimitri gave to the person behind me and before I knew it I felt a kick to my ribs from behind me. I quickly turned around to find my other opponent Guardian Walker who was behind me. I looked back at Dimitri seeing the worry in his faces. I realized the goal was to quickly exhaust me by not allowing me any time to recover.

At that point, I became a blind rage kicking and punching anything and everything I could find within my reach. I didn't see faces, just body parts that I was trying to land hits on. That's when I heard a loud crack followed by a female screaming.

I just barely caught Pavel giving a signal to Dimitri and the next thing I knew Dimitri, Guardian Walker plus two other guardians took me to the ground as the doctor stabbed my arm with a needle. I was hurling every possible swear word I could think of towards anyone when I heard Dimitri say "Roza, that's not very lady like. That's not the sweet Roza that I want to take to dinner and then go dancing".

"Fuck you Dimitri, go back to Tasha" I screamed and then my world went black.

I woke up and noticed I was in my bed and I could feel and smell Dimitri next to me. I took a deep breath as I remember what had happened. Dimitri turned my body to him once he realized I was awake and asked "How are you feeling?"

"Like an asshole" I said.

"Roza" he said as he kissed the top of my head "You have no control over this, you never asked to be shadow kissed, we all get that".

"Did I hurt anyone?" I asked fearfully

"Well, we are all definitely sore" Dimitri said as he paused and I looked up at him and could tell there was more. "Celeste's wrist is broken".

I turned away from Dimitri, I couldn't believe the monster that I was. Dimitri turned me onto my back and then he laid on top of me essentially immobilizing me. Under normal circumstances, I would have loved it but not after what I had done.

"Roza, look at me" I turned my head towards him "I love you" he said. I started to say something and before I could, he put his finger to my lips and said "I love you".

He looked at me so intensely and asked me "Who do I love?"

"Me" I whispered.

"Louder"

"Me" I said quietly.

"What do I feel?" Dimitri asked.

"Love" I said a little louder with a small smile.

"Can't hear you" Dimitri said as he smirked.

"You love me" I said in a normal voice.

"Yes I do" he said as his lips crashed down on me. When we broke apart so that we could breathe, Dimitri said "If you are up for it there is a surprise for you in the kitchen".

"I don't know" I said. I didn't really feel up to seeing anyone right now.

"Trust me you want this surprise" Dimitri said.

I got up off the bed and noticed that I smelled horrible since I hadn't showered after sparing. "Eww Comrade, I need a shower".

"Come on, we both need one."

Once in the shower I asked "Have you talked to Christian or Lissa? Is she okay?"

"Yes, she feels much better and said to call her when you feel up to it."

Dimitri and I finished showering but no extracurricular activities at this point. We both got dressed in comfy clothes and Dimitri guided me out of our room and immediately I could smell the most delicious scent and it was quite noisy in the kitchen.

As soon as the kitchen came into view, I noticed the entire Belikov family was there. Olena, Karolina and Sonya were in the kitchen cooking what I was assuming was Russian food. Olena came over to me and gave me a big hug and whispered into my ear "Are you okay Rose?"

I nodded at her and then I heard a high-pitched scream yelling "Dimka" as a mass of long dark hair went by me and launched at Dimitri. He easily caught the girl belonging to the mass of long dark hair and he yelled "Vika" in return.

After a minute or two, Dimitri placed the girl back on her feet and asked "Vika, what are you doing here, why aren't you at school?"

"Mama called me to tell me to come home this weekend because Rose and you were finally in Russia. I didn't want to wait till the weekend, so Mama cleared it so I could come home a few days early. Besides what better education could I get than being around all these guardians."

"Okay, but that means we are going to practice while you are here and actually, I'm glad you are here we have some family things to discuss later. But first, Vika this is Rose, Roza this is my little sister Vika."

"Hi Rose, I can't believe you are finally here! You were all Dimka could ever talk about I can't believe he actually got the courage to make a move!"

"Vika!" Dimitri yelled as I saw a slight blush creep up his face as laughed at her candor.

"What?" Vika replied as we heard "Uncle Dimka" and running feet as Dimitri bent down and caught Paul lifting him up in the air. "Hi Auntie Rose"

"Hi Paul" I said back, just then Karo who was carrying Zoya came over to me and gave me a big hug, then she thrust Zoya into my arms and walked away.

"What, wait, don't leave, I'm not good with these things" I said.

"You'll figure it out" Karo called from the kitchen. I looked desperately at Vika as she followed Karo back into the kitchen to help.

"Comrade" I said panicking.

"Yes Roza" Dimitri who was still holding Paul came over to me.

"Uh, Comrade, help"

"It's okay Roza, you're fine, come on let's go sit on the couch. I walked slowly to the couch worried that I would drop her. I sat down and Dimitri put Paul down and then Dimitri sat next to me putting his arm around me and started making faces at Zoya which made her laugh.

"Here put your hands under her arms and let her stand on your thighs" I did as Dimitri said. "That way she can practice standing and she can look around more. Can't you Zoya" Dimitri said in baby talk as Zoya let out a squeal.

After about 20 minutes of baby talk, making faces and laughing, I felt a lot more relaxed than I had since this morning.

**Thank you for all the reviews, I love them. Sorry it took me so long to update, but sometimes life gets in the way**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: DPOV Darkness

Roza and I entered our suite after our meeting with Pavel. She immediately got her laptop and credit card so we could change the other bedroom into a study area. We sat on the bed next to each other with our backs against the headboard.

Roza opened the laptop and started looking for furniture in stores nearby. Unfortunately, the search result came back in Russian, so I took over and searched for desks and gave her the pros and cons of each. We went thru the local stores and picked out a desk, two comfy chairs and a bookcase for my westerns. I was so happy to have a place to store my westerns, not since living with Ivan have I had a place where they were all together.

We also discussed paint colors and decided that we would paint the office a blue grey called St John's Blue. I texted Pavel with all the information of the paint color and the furniture delivery and he said he would take care of everything while we were training.

When I finished with Pavel, I turned to Roza and said "Why don't you log into your St Vladimir's account and see if you have been sent any work yet".

"Ugh, why can't Baba just buy a library or something else that is needed and they can just graduate me." Roza asked.

I laughed to myself knowing that Headmistress Kirova would agree to that in a second if that meant Rose would be out of her life forever. "No" I stated "You are so close to graduating, let's just get you started."

"Okay" Roza said as she signed into her account and started looking at her assignments.

I thought to myself how quickly she agreed to do her work, previously, my Roza, would have put up a much bigger fight. I guess I was having a good influence on her, but she was having a good influence on me as well. I could tell I was opening myself to other people like Celeste and Yuri.

I pulled out my western and started reading. I absent mindedly played with Roza's hair and I would kiss the top of her head or her temple. Now that she was mine, I just craved the physical connection between us.

I had been reading for about an hour when I looked over at Roza and realized she was really working hard at her assignments. In fact, we had all been working hard, especially after our testing today.

I took out my phone and texted Celeste and Yuri and asked them if they were up for dinner tonight. They both then texted me back saying yes, they would be up for dinner.

I texted the kitchen and asked them to bring dinner for four up to our suite. I soon got a confirmation from them that they would be here in an hour with our meal. I went back to reading my novel and putting my fingers through Roza's hair.

"I think you have done enough work for the night." I said bringing Roza's head away from her work.

"What? What time is it?" Rose asked.

"It's dinner time" I said as I kissed her temple.

"Where are we going to eat?" Roza asked.

"I was thinking let's eat dinner here and then maybe a movie?" I suggested.

"Sounds good Comrade" Roza said as we walked out our bedroom "what do you want for dinner"

"Well, I ordered steaks, salads and bread from the kitchen and Celeste and Yuri are going to join us." I said.

"When did you do that Comrade, you were just reading with me as I did work." Roza said.

"Guardian secrets" I told her as I watched her shake her head at me.

We walked into the kitchen to find a few staff setting up the dining room. We were greeted by the staff and Roza and I went to sit down, side by side as Yuri and Celeste came up the stairs and they both sat across from Roza and I.

I waited as the staff finished organizing dinner. I knew Roza was giving me a look, wondering why I wasn't starting to serve food. And her stomach growled, as it re-emphasized her look.

As soon as the servers left, I got up from my seat and located the wine glasses I had seen earlier and grabbed the wine from the frig. I popped the cork and brought it back to the table and started filling each glass.

As I reach Roza, I said "drinking age in Russia is 18 years old." I wasn't worried about one glass of wine with Roza, because I had caught her a lot more intoxicated on occasion, so I knew her limit was a lot higher than one glass of wine.

"I like that rule" Roza said as we all laughed. We ate dinner and talked about the testing that we had done today, most of the talking was about sparring with the guardians. When we were done with dinner, we all cleaned up and then went to the living room and picked out a movie to watch.

I had Roza in my arms and I noticed Yuri had an arm around Celeste's shoulders. I realized that they were trying to be close but respectful of their jobs.

When we finished watching the movie, we all decided to go to bed. It had been a long day of testing and we were all ready to call it a night. When Roza and I got to our bedroom, I encircled my arm around her and gave her a quick kiss and said "I am going to go and meet with the guardians and I thought maybe you could start filling the bathtub for us?"

"OMG, that would feel so good right now" Roza responded. I gave her a quick kiss and went downstairs to meet with the guardians.

After introducing myself to both guardians and instructing them on what I expected and how to get in touch with me if needed. I ran back up the stairs and stopped in the kitchen to grab two wine glasses and a bottle of wine that we had not finished with dinner.

I walked into our suite and realized Roza was thinking along the same train of thought as I was. The lights were off in the bedroom and there was a soft flickering light coming from the bathroom. I took off my shoes and socks and walked towards the bathroom.

Just as I reached the bathroom door, I heard Roza moan. A sound that went straight to me cock making my pants incredibly tight.

"Roza, you can't moan like that, you know what it does to me" I said as I walked into the bathroom.

I looked around and noticed candles lit in the bathroom and surrounding the bathtub and my Roza in the bathtub covered by bath bubbles.

"Roza, you must have read my mind" I said as I pointed out the candles around the bathtub and room. I filled a glass of wine and handed it to Rose and then I filled a glass for me and set it and bottle on the ledge.

Roza looked up at me and stated "Comrade, you are wearing too much clothing."

"Oh really" I said as I took off my shirt, pants and boxer briefs.

Roza looked at me with lust in her eyes as she gave me a once overlook and then settled in on my cock.

"Happy Comrade?" Roza asked looking up at me.

"Very happy" I responded to her as a slipped into the tub. I grabbed my wine glass and cheered her, clinking our glasses and took a nice big sip and then relaxed further into the tub. We talked about a few things and then I asked "Have you seen how Lissa is doing? It should be about 8am there."

"No, I haven't, but if I go into her head, can you make sure I don't drown in here?" Roza asked.

"Of course, I'll keep watch of you." I said.

Roza got that look on her face that I recognized from when I have seen her go into Lissa's head. While I would have loved to enjoy the evening fully, I know Roza was anxious to see how Lissa was doing. Plus, Roza was always inquiring about my family and Lissa was basically her only family up until about a week ago.

While I waited for Roza to come back, I took a sip of wine and put my glass down then I picked up her foot and started massaging it. I started thinking about the day's events and my plans for our workout tomorrow. It had been about 5 days since Roza and I had really sparred like we normally do and I couldn't wait to get back to it. I also had plans for her to spar other guardians and maybe in a week or two, we would add a second guardian to the spar.

Just then Roza came out of Lissa's head and back to the bathtub with me. She moaned as she realized that I was massaging her foot. I put down her right foot and then picked up her left foot and started massaging it. We started talking about what she had seen while she was sipping her wine.

Roza told me about the darkness building up in Lissa which was one of my concern's, but I also was a little worried about Adrian. From what Roza was saying, he sounded worse than I have ever seen him and one would hope that being the grandnephew of Queen Tatianna, that he would get the help he needs.

Roza joked that Lissa had sex on the mind which meant she knew it was time to get out of Lissa's head. She wasn't the only one who had sex on the mind as I started to slowly massage Roza's calf. I could see Roza's eyes darken and I asked "How about a massage Roza? I am sure your body must be sore after today."

"Yes, that sounds so good right now" she responded. We both got up and dried ourselves off and wrapped towels around us. I led her to our bed and then I went over to the thermostat and turned it up. I went back into the bathroom and grabbed some candles and brought them into the bedroom.

**M rated scene starts **

I leaned down and kissed her passionately and I held on to her when I felt her knees start to give in. Which I internally smirked at, I was happy that my kisses could make her go weak at the knees. I guided her to lie down on the bed and I gently undid her towel and covered the lower half of her body. I picked up one of her scented body lotions and squirted a small amount on my hands. I rubbed my hands together to warm up the lotion before it touched her skin.

Roza moaned as soon as my hands met her shoulders. I started massaging her shoulders and then I started working down her spine. Anytime I hit a knot, I started to work it out, but that only caused her to moan and the sound of her moaning went straight to my cock.

"Roza, you can't keep moaning like that, it's driving me crazy" I groaned.

"Sorry Comrade" she laughed "but you keep hitting all the right spots."

Once I got to the base of her spine, I went back up to her shoulders and then started down her arms. Once I reached her hands, I went back to her shoulders and massaged on the outside of her spine. I enjoyed feeling her smooth skin under my hands. When I reached the base of her spine, I took the towel off her legs and placed it on her back to keep her warm.

I squeezed more lotion on my hands and started massaging her right calf. Roza moaned again and I had to stop and take a few deep breaths, as my towel was getting tighter. I wanted nothing more than to turn her over and sink my cock into her.

"Roza, you are killing me" I groaned once I had collected myself together. She giggled at me until I started massaging her thigh. As soon as I made it to the top of her thigh, I couldn't resist a moment longer and I placed an open mouth kiss on her right butt cheek.

Roza turned her head into her pillow and all but screamed into it when I kissed her.

I started on her left calf and by the time I got to her left knee she was shaking with need. "You okay Roza?" I asked.

"Oh God" she screamed as I started in on her thigh. Once I had reached the apex of her legs, I placed an open mouth kiss on her left butt cheek and then with the end of my fingers, I brushed her clit.

"Comrade, please" Roza moaned.

"Yes, Roza" I said as I started kissing up her spine. I knew that I had worked her into a frenzy, but I planned on taking care of her. "Tell me what you need" I said as I reached the top of her spine.

"I need you please" Roza begged.

I turned her over till she was facing me and I gave her a passionate kiss. I was so hard right now that I was seriously in pain and really wanted to be inside her, but this was about Roza right now. I had a feeling we would be dealing with some darkness tomorrow, but right now I wanted to pleasure her.

I started kissing her neck to her clavicle and then in between her breast. She tried to move her breast toward my mouth, but I stopped kissing her and said "Not yet Roza, I have another destination in mind."

I kissed down her stomach and I noticed that her scent was getting stronger. Once we had come back from Spokane and had increased our training time, I had identified her scent. We fought so closely together twice a day and we had only been lovers for a few days, but I had been fantasizing for a while about doing this to her. But I will stop immediately if she doesn't like it, but I think she will enjoy it.

I positioned myself between her legs and then I spread her legs further apart and I could see her juices coming out of her. I took a deep breath to calm myself, because if I didn't, I might just lose it right now.

"Roza, you smell so good, I am going to kiss you here" I said as I alerted her to my destination. I started kissing her on the outside of her inner thigh, getting closer to her clit with every kiss. As my breath hit her clit, she involuntarily bucked her hips. I threw my forearm over her hips to help keep her in place.

I slowly licked her pussy for the first time and she moaned in pleasure and opened her legs wider to me. This caused me to groan but also made my rock-hard cock pulsate and become harder than I thought possible.

"Oh my god, Comrade" Roza moaned breathlessly.

"Are you doing okay, Roza" I asked as I noticed my accent becoming thicker.

"Uh huh" Roza moaned back. I took that as my permission to continue. I lapped at her clit, then I circled around her clit and finally I penetrated her with my tongue. Then I started all over again. As soon as her breathing increased, I concentrated on lapping at her clit and I started pumping two fingers in and out of her. It didn't take long before her walls started fluttering and her orgasm hit hard, I kept lapping at her clit helping her to ride out her orgasm.

I climbed up her body, kissing her stomach and then between her breast. Then I kissed my way to her right breast where I licked, then sucked, then lightly bit her nipple. As my hand cupped her left breast and I rolled her nipple between my fore finger and thumb.

"Dimitri" Roza moaned.

"Hmm" I responded to her as I kissed over to her left breast and repeated my actions as I cupped her right breast. Once I felt that her breasts had received enough attention, I began kissing up her neck.

"Roza, I'll try to make it last, but I am so turned on right now" I said as I got ready to enter her. I was so hard right now and turned on, I really hoped I could last more than a few seconds.

"Me too, Comrade, me too. I am not sure how long I will last" Roza said. I loved how she was already turned on again and was craving me. If possible that made me harder than I already was. I kissed her deeply as I penetrated her at the same time. She cried in ecstasy as I set a brutal pace. I was barely holding on when I felt Roza's orgasm start and I pounded her two more times before my orgasm took over.

I rested more weight on her than I normally would, but I was exhausted, and I loved feeling of her beneath me. Shortly thereafter, I rolled off her and I pulled her to me rubbing her back as we both fell asleep.

**End of M rated scene**

I woke up and reached out for Roza, but she wasn't there. I jumped out of bed and searched the bathroom and the study but they were both empty. I went into the closet and grabbed a pair of sweatpants to put on and as soon as I opened the door, I could hear Roza talking down the hall. As I got closer, Roza told me to be quiet and put her phone on speaker. It was Lissa and she was ranting about Christian and the accident that killed her family. I picked up Roza's feet and put them on my lap as I sat next to her. I texted Pavel explaining that the darkness was building up in Lissa and that Roza would want to take it from her. I worried about the darkness overtaking Roza, but I knew Roza felt the same way about Lissa that I felt about Ivan and the she would do anything to protect her.

Pavel texted back right away saying to meet him in the meal area in 30 minutes. I texted Celeste and Yuri to come upstairs and let them know what was going on. I stood up and kissed Roza on the top of her head then I walked towards our bedroom to get dressed. I heard a thump and when I turned around, I saw Roza on the floor.

"Roza" I asked.

"Rose, what happened" Lissa asked.

"Nothing Lissa, I just dropped my phone, I'll call you later today okay?" Roza said.

"Okay Rose, bye" Lissa said.

"Bye Liss" Roza said and hung up the phone.

"Hey Rose, whatcha doing?" Yuri asked with a smirk on his face.

"Hey Yuri, just talking on the phone to Lissa, what are you doing" Roza said nonchalantly.

"Coming to get breakfast with you guys" Yuri said.

"Roza, what were you really doing?" I said as I stood over her raising my eyebrow. I had a pretty good idea what had happened, but I wanted to hear her say it.

"Do I have to tell you?" She asked with her best maneater smile.

"Yes Roza, what were you doing when you fell over the couch" I asked trying to hold my guardian mask firmly in place but truthfully, I was seconds from losing it. She looked so cute and sexy on the floor in my t-shirt and panties.

"I was watching you walk down the hallway" Roza said probably hoping that would be enough of an explanation.

"What part of me were you watching Roza?" I asked and I noticed my accent was getting thicker.

"Your ass Comrade, I was staring at your ass when I fell over the couch, happy." Roza yelled out.

I lost it and started laughing hysterically and Yuri started laughing and was on the floor crying, I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder.

"Oh, this is a much better view" Roza said happily. I chuckled to myself at Rose's antics.

I put Roza down on the bed and said "Come on, let's get ready for training. I told Pavel what was going on with Lisa. He told me to get Yuri and Celeste up and meet him in the main dining area. Pavel said he was going to let Court know what is going on with the Princess."

Roza nodded and went into the closet to get dressed. I noticed her demeanor changed quickly and I followed her into the closet and wrapped my arms around her and whispered into her ear "Talk to me Roza."

She turned around in my arms said "Sorry Comrade, I love Lissa, really I do but sometimes it's a …" she paused.

"I know Roza, I'm sorry for everything you have to go through. Do you think you can take just a little darkness?" I asked.

"Yes" she responded even though I wasn't sure I believed her.

"Let's get dressed" I said as Roza pouted at me.

"No pouting" I said in my mentor tone.

This only made her pout get bigger. I leaned in and then lightly bit her lip and cupped her face and said "Get dressed Roza".

"Tease" she said as she got dressed.

"That my dear Roza is not teasing. But if you like, tonight, I can show you teasing." I said as he looked at her with a little bit of a challenge.

"Maybe, what time is it anyways?" she asked as she looked at her phone and saw that it was 4:30am. "Ugh, 4:30, it's like back at the academy."

"Roza, you were never up this early at the academy." I said shaking his head remembering all the times she ran into the gym when she was late.

"True, but at the academy, you were not keeping me up late at night." she replied with her maneater smile that always caused me to melt at her feet.

"Do you like me keeping you up at night?" I countered raising my eyebrow at her.

"Yup" she said with husky voice.

We walked outside our bedroom and joined Celeste and Yuri and made our way towards the dining area. Once we walked in, I noticed that the level of chatter quieted some as this was the first look they were getting at Abe's daughter. I knew Roza could hear it as well, so I put my hand at the small of her back and guided her over to a table.

Yuri and I went to get the girls food and drinks. I watched as Rose picked at her food, I knew she was nervous about taking some darkness, but she also needed energy for what she was about to put her body through.

I was trying to bribe her to eat when I had a great idea and I excused myself and texted Karo about Mama coming over here to cook some lunch for Roza.

Pavel walked in and sat down with us and Roza and I explained the situation with the darkness. We went over to the gym and I pulled Roza over to the side.

I explained to her that she did not need to this if she did not want to, Court could figure out a way to help her. I knew she wouldn't agree, but I just didn't want her to think she had no choice and that she had to do it. I was being selfish because I didn't want to lose her now that I had finally got her.

I dropped my forehead onto hers and said "I love you more than I ever thought possible and I don't want to lose you to the darkness."

"I know I love you too. Just don't let me hurt anyone, okay?" She took a deep breath and then asked me "why don't I remember saying bad things to you last time the darkness took over and how bad was it?"

"I don't know why you don't remember; it was right after Spokane and there was a lot going on." I said.

"You are not answering part of the question" Roza pointed out.

"I know, but we can talk about it later."

"Can I ask a question?"

"Of course Roza"

"What is the first thing that you want to do as a couple now that we are in your hometown?"

"That's easy, I want to take you on a real date. There is a restaurant/bar that has dancing after 10pm that I would really like to take you to. What do you think, are you interested?"

"Yes, that sounds perfect" she said "If you have to talk me down talk about that okay?"

"Okay, should I describe the outfit I want you to wear?" I said with a smirk.

"I am sure Pavel can't wait to hear that" Roza said with a smirk.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I leave that part out until later" I replied.

I gave Roza the sweetest kiss that I could, hugged her and said "I love you with all my heart Roza."

"I love you too Comrade" Roza said.

Roza started stretching and I went to speak with Pavel.

"What do you think is the best way to handle this?" Pavel asked me.

"I think due to her increased strength, we should tag team her." I explained.

"Okay, I have Dr. Morozov standing by with sedatives as well as first aid in case that is needed." Pavel stated.

Everyone got into their positions and I told Roza "Whenever you are ready."

She closed her eyes and I watched her get tense. She then opened her eyes and I asked "Rose, how are you feeling?"

"Okay, she has a lot of darkness, she is screaming at Christian right now, stating that he is cheating." Roza said.

"Do you want to spar with the darkness that you took or do you want to take a little more?" I asked Roza.

"Let me take a little more" Roza said.

As soon as she opened her eyes, I could tell that she took too much. I swore under my breath and I gave a nod to Guardian Walker and we both stepped toward Roza.

Roza was on the offensive and our only goal was to tire her out and get rid of the darkness. I went on the defensive and met Roza blow for blow and anytime Roza took a step back to regroup herself then Guardian Walker would start fighting her.

This tag team system was working well and after about 10 minutes, Guardian Walker and I were beginning to tire, so Pavel signaled for us to swap out. It seemed to be working, since Roza was so distracted that at least she wasn't screaming obscenities and insults out.

We kept swapping out guardian pairs about every 5 to 10 minutes. Guardian Walker and I were on our third go around and Roza was finally starting to show signs of faltering but so were we. Pavel signaled a tap out and Yuri and Celeste took over for us.

Before I could react, I saw Roza going after Celeste and I could tell from the angle that she was engaging Celeste and the way Celeste was defending herself that Roza was going to injure her. I heard the crack and Celeste scream before I could get near them. I yelled "Buria" which was the word we had decided to use if Roza needed to be taken down and sedated.

I pinned Roza to the floor and Guardian Walker and two other guardians helped me keep her on the ground while the doctor came to give her a shot of the sedative.

Roza started by saying every swear word she could think of. "Roza, that's not very lady like. That's not the sweet Roza that I want to take to dinner and then go dancing."

"Fuck you Dimitri, go fuck Tasha" Roza screamed before she passed out due to the sedative.

We slowly got off Roza, Dr. Morozov checked her out quickly and then I scooped her up in my arms and brought her back to our room.

I placed her on the bed and took her socks and shoes off as well as my own and I climbed on the bed with her. I took her in my arms and started talking to her about my plans for our first official date, that I was determined to have this Saturday, including what I wanted her to wear.

**This was a request from a few people to have Dimitri's POV. Don't worry I have the next chapter almost ready to go.**

**I have a question: Do you prefer stories that take place at the academy or along that story line or do you like any story as long as it has Romitri in it?**

**Thanks, love your reviews, you guys are the greatest!**


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Bonded

Karo came into the living area to let us know lunch was ready and to pick up Zoya. Just as I stood up, Yuri and Celeste came up the stairs and I froze when I saw Celeste's arm in a cast. I felt so guilty for breaking her arm while we were sparring.

Dimitri whispered in my ear "It's okay Roza, guardians get injured all the time while sparring." I turned to face Dimitri and said "But I hurt her while the darkness took over. It's not like it was an accident. I was trying to hurt everyone."

"Rose, YOU were not trying to hurt anyone, the darkness was trying to hurt everyone, we all know it wasn't you"

Dimitri looked past me at Celeste and said "I'll give you two a few minutes." Yuri followed Dimitri towards the kitchen and I turned around to face Celeste, but I couldn't stop looking at her arm in a cast.

"Celeste, I am so sorry" I said as I tried to prevent my tears from falling.

"Rose, it's fine, don't worry about it" Celeste said as she gave me a hug. "Trust me, I have been injured far worse while sparring and those guardians did not have any darkness in them."

"But" I started.

"Rose, how many times has Dimitri or your classmates put you in the infirmary?"

"Too many times" I said.

"See, it's fine, come on let's eat, I'm hungry and that food smells so good" Celeste said as my stomach growled in agreement.

Celeste and I walked into the dining room and Dimitri's eyes met mine asking if everything was alright. I nodded to him as I sat down in the chair next to him. I looked around the table and saw that not only was Dimitri's family present but so was Baba, Mom and Pavel.

Baba spoke up "I would like to propose a toast to Rose and Dimitri for bringing these two families together. I hope this meal is the first of many feasts that we will be sharing."

"Cheers" everyone said as they raised their glasses.

Dimitri explained all the different foods and pointed out what he thought I would like. I sat in silence while I picked at my food, which caused Dimitri to be worried.

"Milaya, please eat, you barely had breakfast and now you are picking at your lunch." Dimitri said.

"Sorry Comrade" I apologized. "I just don't have an appetite right now"

"Roza, there is nothing that you need to apologize for, okay" Dimitri said.

"Okay" I responded but I could tell he wasn't believing me.

Dimitri decided to try a different technique to get me to eat. He would get a fork full of food and say "Here try this, I think you'll like it." If I seemed to like it, he put a small amount on my plate.

Dimitri did this for the entire meal, I loved everything that Dimitri's family made, plus I appreciated that Dimitri was so loving as he was trying to get me to eat.

I noticed that Baba had gotten a guardian to show Paul the gym with Olena and Karo's permission so that Baba could speak with everyone. When we were almost done eating, Baba clinked his glass with a fork to get everyone's attention.

"First, thank you to the Belikov women for the amazing meal you cooked. Now as all of you know Rose is here because there are threats against her life by humans and moroi. Most of the threats are because of my line of work now and in the past. She has also attracted the attention of some strigoi due to the two strigoi that she killed in Spokane" Baba stated.

Dimitri pulled my chair closer to him and he put his arm around my shoulder lending me his strength.

"Baba continued "Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri graciously agreed to move to Russia to protect Rose. She has expressed concern for the safety of all the Belikovs since Dimitri is her primary guardian. Janine and I went to Moscow these past few days to see if there was an increase in threats when we were out in public. Unfortunately, I must report that there were increased threats. Pavel and I have explored many options to keep everyone safe and I would like to extend an offer for the Belikov family to temporarily move here. There is a house on the compound that a few of the retired guardians use and they have offered to relocate to the guest bedrooms for the time being."

"As far as Paul's schooling, he can be home schooled, or I can send a guardian with him to school, which ever will make you feel more comfortable. I can send two guardians with Victoria to St Basil's or she could stay here and do her course work remotely like Rose as there are plenty of guardians to oversee her training" Baba continued.

"Now before you answer, I just want you to know that Rose is Janine and my highest priority. We have made some mistakes like sending her to St Vladimir's at four years old and keeping my existence from her. But Rose has expressed her concern that if Dimitri is with her that could make his family a target. And I know if anything were to happen to any of you, she will feel responsible. If you would like to take some time to think it over, I can send guardians with you for protection." Baba said as Janine nodded her head agreeing.

Yeva spoke up immediately "We will stay here; it is the safest for everyone."

"Mama" Olena said.

Abe said "Great, I will send guardians with you so you can pack."

"Thank you, but we cannot stay here and do nothing" Olena said.

Baba raised his hand and said "I would be very grateful if you stayed here and cooked for Rose, she seemed to really like your cooking. Maybe you can cook one meal a day for Rose, Dimitri, Celeste and Yuri and the additional guardians we will be hiring for Rose's protection. Plus, I know it has been a while since you have spent time with Dimitri, I feel this arrangement would be beneficial for everyone."

Wow, Baba's good I thought as I looked at him and he winked at me.

"Thank you, Mr. Mazur," Olena started.

"Please call me Abe" Bab said.

"Thank you Abe. Dimitri, Victoria what do you think would be the best option for school, staying here or going back to St. Basil's?" Olena asked.

"Vika, what is your opinion. I think it might be best for you to stay here and we can train you. You will get one on one training which you can't get at St Basils" Dimitri pondered.

"If St Basil's lets me take classes remotely, I think it will work" Vika said.

"Good" Dimitri said "We can do the same testing that we went through and see where you are in terms of training and maybe we can set you up with a mentor."

Pavel spoke up and said "I can call St. Basil's, I know the head guardian, it shouldn't be a problem."

We finished eating and cleaning up from lunch. It was decided that Dimitri and I would stay here for my safety, but Baba sent plenty of guardians with the Belikovs to pack. Baba told them to just pack personal stuff as the house was fully furnished.

After the Belikov's left, Baba, Mom and Pavel stayed behind. Baba explained that when Mom and he went to Moscow there was a significant increase in threats against him, Mom and me. He also told us that there had been a few threats against the Belikovs, but he didn't want to worry them, so he had not mentioned it.

"The shadow kissed couple will be coming tonight for dinner, hopefully they will have some answers to help you with the bond." Baba said.

"Thanks Baba, maybe we can skype with Lissa as well" I replied.

Pavel asked "Have either of you had a chance to look at the potential guardians?"

"Sorry Pavel, I haven't had a chance yet" I apologized.

Dimitri said "I only had a chance to quickly look at it, but we can do it this afternoon."

"That's fine, just let me know who you have decided on" Pavel replied.

Baba spoke up and said "There is a formal dining room on the second floor of my residence, why don't you meet us there at 5 pm and it will give you some time to talk with the shadow kissed couple."

Baba, Mom and Pavel left shortly after our conversation. Dimitri and I went into the study and pulled out the folder with the guardians. Dimitri felt that with a six-person team, that there should be two females, one being Celeste. He thought it was necessary so that I could be guarded in places such as bathrooms or dressing rooms when we go out of the compounds.

We ended up picking two female guardians, one for the main team and one for the backup team. We then picked out six men, three for the main team and three for the backup team. One of the guardians for the main team was Guardian O'Brian whom Dimitri had spared with for our testing.

"Dimitri, what do you think about Guardian Matt Logan for Vika? He's twenty-one, so he's young enough to fit in when she is out. He is already a blood master three, has great reports from Pavel and is familiar with the compound and my father" I pondered.

Dimitri pulled out his information and he agreed "Yes, I think that he looks like he could be a great mentor for Vika. I'll email Pavel our suggestions for the team as well as the guardian for Vika."

"Why don't you want to mentor her yourself?" I asked Dimitri.

"Sometimes it can be hard to train a family member, as in going too soft or too hard. And there is usually some bias to it and it can put a lot of pressure on the relationship. It's hard to spar when you are worried about injuring them" Dimitri responded.

"You mean like a black eye" I said as I reminisced about my mother giving me a black eye when we sparred.

"Exactly" Dimitri responded. "Come on, let's go downstairs, my family should be here shortly."

A couple of minutes later, Pavel joined us as we waited.

"I've looked over the guardians you have chosen, and I think you picked out a great team. Those who already work for Abe, will move in to the second floor where Celeste and Yuri reside. The guardians that do not work for him, were contacted and all of them accepted the position and will be filtering in over the next week." Pavel stated.

"Wow, that was fast" I said.

"Well, we are very efficient around here" Pavel smirked at me "and Guardian Logan agreed to work with Victoria as long as she agreed as well."

A couple of minutes later, three vans pulled up to the house that the Belikovs would be staying in. They didn't have much luggage as they only needed clothes and personal stuff.

Dimitri and I grabbed some bags and followed as Olena and Yeva decided the bedroom arrangement. Once all the vans were unloaded, two guardians stayed behind to put the crib for Zoya back together. Then Dimitri's family followed Pavel to get their fingerprints so they could access their house and other areas.

After Vika was finished being fingerprinted, Dimitri said "Mama, I'm going to take Vika on a tour of the compound, especially the gym."

Vika followed us and when we walked into the gym, her eyes were bugging out, which I am sure is what I looked like when I first saw the gym.

"Oh my god, this is awesome" Vika said as she looked around.

"I know right" I replied.

As we were showing Vika around the gym, Dimitri was telling her about Guardian Logan who we thought would be a good mentor for her. But Dimitri explained that he had accepted the job on the basis that she agreed as well. But he stressed that if at any time she didn't like or feel comfortable with him to let Pavel or us know and we could change mentors.

By the time we finished giving Vika a tour it was 4 pm.

Dimitri stated "Vika, tomorrow I will run you through the testing that Pavel gave us, it's just a way to gauge where you are in your training. We will be testing your endurance by running, sit ups and pull ups. Have you had any stake training yet?"

"No, not really. We had a couple classes that's it so far." Vika responded.

"That's what I thought, Roza hasn't had much training either. We will also have you spar with Guardian Logan, so I can see where you are and it will give the both of you some interaction to see if you feel he will be a good mentor for you." Dimitri explained.

"Okay" Vika responded.

"Why don't you come to the gym at 7am, it will give me time to get Roza started on some weight training and set up for your testing" Dimitri explained.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning" Vika said.

We said our goodbyes to Vika and just as we were leaving the house, Dimitri picked up a box. As we were walking back to our suite I asked "What's in the box?"

"My westerns. I asked Mama to pack them, I haven't had them all together since I was with Ivan. I don't know it's probably silly, but it is really the only belonging I care about" Dimitri shrugged.

"It's not silly, I get it, I mean I still have my stuffed dog from when I was four even though I had no idea at the time where he came from. And I kept your sweatshirt from the night of the lust charm" I said as I started to blush.

"I like it when you blush Roza" Dimitri smirked at me.

We got ready for the meeting with Mark and Oksana. It was 4:45 and I was just finishing with a little make up. I decided to wear a grey knit sweater dress and matching grey boots. I left my hair out and gave it a few extra curls.

Dimitri came into the bathroom where I was doing my makeup when he said "Milaya, you look beautiful."

"Thanks Comrade" I said as I looked him up and down. He was wearing black jeans and a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. "You look handsome yourself."

I put on some lip gloss and said "Come on, let's go."

Celeste and Yuri were in the family room watching tv. We said goodbye as we left for dinner. I heard some activity on the second floor as we descended on the stairs. Pavel was right, they were very efficient here.

"We have a few minutes, do you mind if we go say hi?" Dimitri asked me.

"Not at all" I said "I would like to meet them as well."

We walked onto the second floor and Dimitri knocked on the first door we came to.

"HI, Guardian Cooper, I just wanted to introduce myself and welcome you to the team. I am Guardian Dimitri Belikov and this is Novice Rose Hathaway" Dimitri stated.

"Nice to meet you both and thank you for hiring me for this team" Cooper said as he shook both of our hands.

Two other guardians came over when they had heard us and introduced themselves.

"Hi, Guardian Ellis and this is Guardian Andreev, we are excited to be on the team" Ellis said.

"Guardian Belikov and Novice Hathaway" Dimitri introduced us. "Rose and I have a meeting to attend, but it was nice meeting you and I will see everyone in the morning 8 am for testing. I just want to get a sense as to where everyone skill level is."

We said goodbye and headed down the stairs to meet with Baba, Mom and Pavel with the shadow-kissed couple.

"Nervous?" Dimitri asked me.

"Hmm, maybe more like excited to meet someone who understands what I go thru" I said honestly. I saw a quick flash of hurt on Dimitri's face but then he covered it up with his guardian mask.

I stopped him at the bottom of the stairs and said "Dimitri, it's not that you don't understand or sympathize, but you also don't understand what it is like to all of a sudden get pulled into someone else's head without your permission."

"Your right Roza, I'm sorry, I wish I could help you with this." Dimitri said.

"But you do Comrade, you are so loving and supportive of me and that is something no one else can fill" I said as I gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

Dimitri and I walked across the indoor courtyard and up the stairs to the second floor. We entered a huge room that had a long table that looked like it could fit 20 people. Baba, Mom and Pavel were already there speaking with two people, whom I assumed were the shadow kissed couple.

Baba turned as we entered the room. "Ahh, Rose, Dimitri, this is Mark and Oksana. Mark, Oksana, this is my daughter Rose and her boyfriend Dimitri."

We all shook hands and Oksana asked "Are you two bonded to each other?"

"No, I am bonded to my best friend. I was with her and her family in a car when we were hit head on. Everyone in the car died except her and she said that she touched me and all these emotions went thru her and the next thing she knew, I started breathing." I explained.

"As time went on, I started getting pulled into her head when she was having extreme emotions. I then realized if I concentrated hard enough, that I could slip into her head. We discovered that she had Spirit, even though at the time we didn't know what to call it" I continued.

"She started using Spirit a lot because we were trying to figure out what her abilities really were. But then she started with the depression and she began cutting herself. I remember thinking, I wish I could take it away for her and then suddenly she was fine and I was pissed." I said as Dimitri was rubbing the back of my hand.

"We found another Spirit user, but he does not have a shadow kissed partner, so he tries to control the darkness with drinking and smoking" I finished. I didn't want to give them any names yet until I knew I could trust them.

Oksana started first "That is similar to our experience. Mark was assigned to me as my guardian and one day we were attacked by two strigoi. He managed to kill both of them but he was fatally wounded and he died before I could get to him. I healed him, knowing I could save his life but I had no idea that we would become bonded. Over the years, we have figured out a lot about our bond."

Mark continued "For example, while I can go into her head and hear what she is thinking, feeling and seeing. She can sense my mood, which is particularly helpful when I take too much darkness from her."

I looked around the room and could see how everyone was hanging on their every word. "If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been bonded?" I asked.

"About 10 years, it took a couple of years to develop an equilibrium between us." Oksana said.

"Did you know you had Spirit before you bonded" I asked.

"We were starting to get to figure it out. I had always known that I was different in that I could control more than one element and I could also feel what other people were feeling and that I could heal someone. Mark became my guardian six years before we figured it out that I specialized in Spirit. We fell in love three years after he became my guardian." Oksana explained.

"We have found other bonded partners over the years and keep in touch with a few of them. I'll call them and see if we can get a few to visit while you are here so that you can speak with them." Mark said.

"That would be great!" I exclaimed.

"Mark and I spoke as soon as Yeva and your father contacted us. As you know being bonded it difficult at times, and there is a lot if information to process. We don't want to overwhelm you all at once and we are willing to meet you as many times as you want." Oksana said cautiously.

"That's probably a good idea, I was hoping to skype with my bond mate, but it has been a big day for the both of us. I ended up taking the darkness from her today. Is there anything that I need to know immediately?" I asked.

I didn't miss the nervous glances between Mark and Oksana and neither did Dimitri, Baba, Mom and Pavel.

Oksana took a deep breath and said "One of the biggest threats to us are unbonded Spirit users. They have no outlet for their darkness and they can become unsteady and unreliable especially towards the dhampir of a bonded pair."

"Adrian" I whispered as Dimitri tensed near me and his grasp on my had become tighter.

"What problems can we except from an unbonded Spirit user?" Baba asked being the first time he had said anything in this meeting.

"We have tried to stay away from them as much as possible, but it is like the Spirit user is obsessed with bonded dhampir. So, my advice would be trying to stay away or always be sure there are people you trust around you." Mark said.

Dimitri's grip on my hand was getting tighter, almost to the point of pain.

"Dimitri" I said to him.

"Sorry, milaya" he whispered once he realized what he was doing.

"Okay, so anything else to watch out for?" I asked, not sure that I wanted to know the answers.

"Well, another thing we have heard, but we don't have any proof yet, is that when you, Rose, were brought back by a Spirit user, you might be able to become pregnant." Oksana explained.

I looked at her to Mark and then around the room. The room started to spin on me and the last thing I remembered was Dimitri's face at the end of a long tunnel yelling "Roza" before everything went black.

As I started to become aware of my surroundings, I could tell I was on something soft. I could smell pine, but that didn't make sense seeing how I wouldn't be on something this soft outside. Unless I died, did I die?

I started to hear voices, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. One of the voices that was closest to me was deep and I knew it was a voice I knew well, but I couldn't just put my finger on it.

I tried to open my eyes, but that wasn't happening. I started to try to move my right hand, but it was caught in something soft, warm and big. As my fingers wiggled a little, I heard "Roza, Roza, can you hear me?"

Then I felt someone else's fingers on my other wrist like they were taking a pulse. "I think she is coming around" another voice said.

It all came back to me Dimitri, my parents, the threats, the darkness, Mark and Oksana. At that moment, all I wanted was the man of my dreams.

"Dimitri?" I managed to squeak out.

"I'm right here milaya" Dimitri whispered in my ear as his hold on my hand tightened. And with that I curled into him, my mentor, my protector, my lover.

**I always thank those who leave me reviews, I love reading them. But I forget to thank those of you who are reading my story as well. I am amazed how many people are reading it, so thank you so much. And no offense to other authors who won't publish more chapters unless they get a lot of reviews, I won't do that. This is just a story tumbling in my head that I need to get out and I am happy to have you along for the journey.**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Shadow Kissed

"Roza?"

"Roza, open your eyes for me" Dimitri said.

I shook my head and snuggled closer into him.

"I have pizza for you" Dimitri stated.

I took a sniff and heard a soft chuckle from Dimitri. I then risked opening one eye to look around.

"Liar" I said as I went back into his chest.

"Oh, Roza, if you open both eyes, I promise I'll get you pizza" Dimitri promised.

I took some time to think about it and I finally opened my eyes and was greeted with the chocolate brown eyes that I loved.

"Hey" Dimitri said.

"Hi" I smiled at him.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I don't know, where are we? I asked for the first time looking around. Dimitri was cuddling me on a bed in a generic looking room, definitely not our bedroom.

"It's one of the guest rooms close to the dining room we were in. We brought you in here after you fainted." Dimitri said.

"Yeah, not one of my finer moments" I said.

"Roza, you've taken Lissa's darkness, sparred more than your body is used to, barely ate and then found out that you might have the ability to become pregnant by a dhampir. I'm not surprised you fainted." Dimitri said.

"Do you want to try and sit up?" Dimitri asked me.

"Okay" I said.

Dimitri helped me up supporting my back and carefully watching me.

"How do you feel?"

"A little dizzy"

"I'm not surprised, here drink this" Dimitri said as he gave me a bottle of water. I drank about half of it.

There was a knock on the door. "Come" Dimitri said.

"Rose, are you okay?" Baba asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay" I said.

"Can we get you anything?" Baba asked, the concern in his voice evident.

"You could get her pizza" Dimitri said.

"Done, Dr. Morozov is here to check on you." Baba said as the doctor entered and Baba left closing the door behind him.

"Rose how are you feeling?" she asked as she was taking my pulse.

"Okay" I responded.

"Mr. Mazur informed me that you had quite the shock this evening on top of what you went thru today" she said.

"Yeah, I guess it has been a crazy day."

"What do you think we should do?' Dimitri asked.

"Well, first I would like you to continue to drink fluids, you are probably dehydrated from this morning. Secondly, I have been told, you didn't eat much today, so I would like you to eat. It doesn't matter what you eat, just eat what you feel like. Thirdly, you are to rest today, tomorrow and Friday, no exercising and no sparring. And lastly, I have a pregnancy test here for you to take if you would like, as I heard that there was the possibility of you becoming pregnant by another dhampir" she said as she looked over at Dimitri.

"The instructions are on the package. I'll leave you to discuss this between you two and I will be in the dining area if you have any questions." She said and she left Dimitri and I alone.

I turned to Dimitri and he was holding the pregnancy test in his hand reading the directions. As if sensing my stare, he looked up at me. "Milaya, I know you are not ready for a baby yet. We both had resolved that this was not a possibility, but I can't deny that I am excited that this is a possibility. One day" he clarified.

"We are together now, whatever happens, we will deal with it together okay, but let's take the test first before either of us starts to panic" Dimitri said.

He took my hand and led me to the bathroom and he handed me the stick and I peed on it. Dimitri set his phone for two minutes. I sat down next to him on the edge of the tub. He put his arm around me and I rested my head on his chest. He kissed the top of my head and started whispering to me in Russian, which always seemed to calm me, even though I had no idea what he was saying.

The alarm on his phone went off and I jumped as it seemed the alarm was so loud compared to the quietness of the bathroom. We looked at each other and Dimitri reached over and grabbed the stick, but before he turned it over, he said "Roza, regardless of what this says I'll always love you and take care of you."

With that said he turned it over and it said 'Not Pregnant'. I let out the biggest breath and Dimitri pulled me onto his lap and said "One day, maybe we will do this for real. But only after we have planned for it, okay?"

"Okay, thank you Dimitri. I feel like I keep thanking you for everything you do for me and I never do anything for you." I said.

"Roza, I wouldn't have it any other way. I am the luckiest man in the world and I am here for you, however you need me to be."

"I love you" I said as I kissed his lips. I pulled back first and said "so, someone mentioned pizza?"

Dimitri laughed "Come on" and he grabbed my hand and we walked back into the dining area. Baba, Mom, Pavel and Dr. Morozov were there.

Baba said "Mark and Oksana went home, here is their cell numbers if you have any questions or want to set up another meeting."

"Thanks Baba" I said.

"We sent pizza to your place, so you can rest per doctor's orders" Baba said.

"Thank you, Baba," I said.

With that Baba and Mom hugged me. Mom said quietly in my ear that since I would be taking things easy for a few days, maybe we could spend some time together. I nodded at her and Dimitri said our goodbyes as we headed back to our suite.

When we reached the third floor, Dimitri directed me to our room, he told me to sit on the bed and he went and grabbed me t-shirt and sweatpants. He left the room and came back with a tray of food and drinks and set them down on the bed. He went into our closest and changed into sweats as well. He got us all set up in bed with food and we binged watch some reality tv.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I woke up in the middle of the night and I was slightly disoriented with Dimitri chuckling behind me.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"Your stomach has been growling for the last 15 minutes and it got so loud that it woke you up" Dimitri said trying to contain his laughter.

I tried to pout, but it really was funny as my stomach again let out a loud growl. Both Dimitri and I laughed so hard at that, that we both had tears streaming down our face.

"Come on, let's get you fed, you didn't really eat that much today." Dimitri said as we both got out of bed and went to the kitchen.

I sat on the counter as Dimitri went to the refrigerator to find some food. He handed me a bottle of water and said "Drink, you are probably behind in your fluid intake after everything that has happened today."

I downed half the water instantly, it felt so good on my throat, which was a little dry.

"What are you in the mood for?" Dimitri asked me.

"Food" I responded.

Dimitri chuckled "Yes, I figured that part out, what type of food? Never mind, I'll just pick things."

He started pulling out different dishes and made me a plate of food. I recognized some of the food that his family had made for us earlier in the day.

It was so much better than I remembered from earlier today and I started stuffing my face. At one-point Dimitri grabbed a fork and tried to take some food off my plate. I pulled my plate away and asked "What are you doing?"

"You are not going to share Roza?" He said as he pouted at me.

I studied his face for a long time and said "I guess, you can have a few bites."

"Thanks" he said sarcastically.

Thirty minutes later and I think that we had eaten half of the food in the refrigerator.

"Dimitri, I'm so full, I don't think I can move" I whined to him.

Dimitri shook his head and picked me up and brought us back to our bedroom. We still had about 6 more hours till we needed to get up for practice. We both got into bed and Dimitri pulled me to his side, kissed the top of my head and turned the light off. Within a minute or two, I could hear Dimitri's breathing even out.

I decided to slip into Lissa's head to see how she was doing. I hadn't had a chance to check on her since I took the darkness this morning. I easily slipped into her head and she was in the same room she had been in before. I was relieved to see that her darkness was gone and she was talking with Christian.

There was a knock on the door, Christian went and answered it, it was Adrian. He looked awful; I don't think I have ever seen him look that bad. He had dark circles under his eyes, he had a bottle of vodka in his hand and thru Lissa, I could tell he reeked from those clove cigarettes.

He was followed by five members of the royal guard. Lissa and I both had the same thought that the royal guardians were there to protect Adrian from himself and I assumed Christian had that thought as well. Unfortunately, that was not the case, which became evident as Adrian started yelling at Lissa demanding to know where I was. Lissa's guardians stepped in to protect her, but the royal guardians with Adrian mirrored her guardian's movements, causing a standoff between guardians.

Whoa, I thought, shit, Adrian is totally out of control and obviously his great aunt was not interested in stopping his behavior, but why. Christian got in front of Lissa to protect her alongside her guardians. Even though Christian and I did not always get along, I knew that Christian would do anything protect Lissa including dying for her, just like Dimitri would do from me.

From behind Christian, Lissa peeked her head out and said "Adrian, I do not know where Rose is, she was taken away by her parents for her protection. I talked to her last night after I had a nightmare that she got pulled into. The darkness has been building in me due to all the Spirit we have been using, she took the darkness away from me earlier today. That is all the contact I have had. I don't know where she is, she didn't tell me."

"I have been trying to dream walk her and I can't. I don't get it why can't I dream walk her" Adrian screamed.

"I don't know Adrian, maybe the darkness in you is preventing it or maybe she has been awake all this time" Lissa said calmly, but I could feel she was terrified. "Why don't you get some rest, we can take a few days off from practicing Spirit, and then you can try to reach her again. And if I hear from her I can let her know you want to talk with her and maybe give you a time frame to dream walk her" Lissa said, but I could tell she was lying so she could appease Adrian.

Adrian seemed to agree with that plan and left. After the door close, Christian turned to Lissa and said "That was weird and why does the Queen care if Adrian finds Rose, I thought the Queen hated Rose."

"Yeah, that is weird. Next time I talk to Rose, I'll let her know." Lissa said.

"Lissa" Christian started then stopped and took a deep breath "Adrian has never been my favorite person, but I generally felt he was harmless." Christian took another deep breath "Maybe I am paranoid, but I have a bad feeling, if he has royal guardians supporting him, we have no real defense against him." Christian inadvertently offended the guardians around them, but he did have a point.

"Are you sure there is no way to get to Rose?" Christian asked.

"No, not unless she calls me." Lissa said.

I pulled out of Lissa's head and jumped out of bed startling Dimitri, who jumped out and grabbed his stake and went into a defensive stance.

"Roza, what's wrong?"

"It's Lissa and Christian, Adrian is getting really unstable, but it weird, Adrian has the Queen's Royal guardians with him. It doesn't make sense, why would Adrian have royal protection at Court?" I pondered.

"I don't know, but it can't be good" Dimitri said.

Before Dimitri could say anything, I called Baba. I figured he must have some contacts at Court to help Lissa and Christian.

"Rose?" Baba asked "Is everything okay?"

I tried to explain things but I knew I was making no sense.

"We'll be right over" Baba said.

Dimitri and I went out to the living area and two minutes later, Baba, Mom and Pavel came up the stairs.

My mom spoke first "Rosemarie, what is going on?"

"I went into Lissa's head to check on her to make sure she was okay after I took the darkness this morning and she was. While I was still in her head, Adrian came over and was very manic and very drunk."

"Just like Oksana said he might be?" Baba asked.

"Yes, he was demanding to know where I was, but the weird thing is he had royal guardians with him and there was a standoff between Lissa guardians and the royal guardians. So much that Christian took a protective stance in front of Liss." I explained while Dimitri pulled me closer to him.

"Hmm, that's interesting, how does the Queen benefit by getting to Rose?" Baba pondered out loud.

"You think that the Queen is after Rose?" Dimitri asked alarmed at this new information.

"Yes, unfortunately, I think so. There is no reason for Adrian to need royal guardians at Court. He doesn't even get royal guardians outside of court." Baba pondered.

Mom, Pavel, Dimitri and I all silently looked at each other as those the answer would magically appear.

Baba finally spoke up and said "Let me make some inquiry to see if anyone has heard anything. And in the meantime, I will send some guardians to increase Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera's protection. I probably should have done that sooner since Tasha will know that the Princess is your achille's heel so to speak."

"Thank you Baba" I said as I hugged him.

"Not a problem Rose, this is my expertise" Baba said with a wink. Mom hugged me and left with Baba and Pavel.

"Come on Roza, let's try to get some sleep" Dimitri said.

"I don't think I can sleep right now; I feel to keyed up after being in Liss's head" I said.

"I think I can help with that." Dimitri said.

"Comrade, I don't think I am in the mood for that either, sorry."

"Roza, you have a dirty mind, which I do love, but I was more thinking of snuggling in bed and watching a movie."

"Oh, that actually sounds good" I said.

Dimitri led me back to our room and we picked out a movie, some action movie about the White House being attacked. It was good enough to keep my attention but didn't take too much brain power to follow. I looked over at Dimitri and he was out cold, poor guy, my crazy life had definitely affected his sleep. Despite him always telling me at the academy, how guardians did not need much sleep, I think I put that theory to the test for him.

I snuggled down next to him and unconsciously his arms pulled me closer to his body. I started to become sleepy, so I turned the movie off and I was asleep shortly thereafter.

The next thing I knew, I heard an alarm going off. I was thinking I was back at that academy and I reached out to hit the alarm clock. But my hand collided not with an alarm clock, but a soft body.

"Roza, I am not your alarm clock" Dimitri said sleepily.

"Sorry, Comrade" I said.

Dimitri shut off the alarm which was on his side. "Well, I will have bruises, but at least you won't destroy alarm clocks every other day" Dimitri joked.

"Ha Ha Ha Dimitri, for your information is was every third day" I said smugly.

"Come on Roza, let's go, maybe the guardian dining area has chocolate donuts" Dimitri bribed.

I bolted up and jumped out of bed "You think so Comrade?"

"Maybe" Dimitri said as he laughed and shook his head.

We both got dressed and headed to the guardian dining area. I was surprised how full the kitchen was at this hour. At the academy, even after Dimitri and I finished working out, the academy dining area was still sparse when we arrived.

Dimitri and I got food including my favorite chocolate donuts. We sat down with Celeste and Yuri and the other guardians that we had met yesterday. Dimitri went to get coffee for himself and I begged him for one too. He took a sip and I watched him instantly relax. I took a bite of my first donut and moaned. The table laughed at me and before I could do anything, Dimitri took the rest of my donuts and placed them out of my reach and gave me a bowl of fruit salad.

"Fruit first, then donuts" Dimitri said. I stuck my tongue out him. Just then Vika walked in, I wasn't even sure her eyes were open.

"Wow, I guess not all the Belikov's are morning people" I laughed. I think Vika was trying to glare at me but the muscles in her face were awake yet. Dimitri being the caring big brother, got up and got food and a coffee for Vika and it made me love him even more. Vika sat down across from me and put her head on the table and said "this is way too early".

"Tell me about it, I used to have to meet your brother at 5 when we were at the academy" I said chuckling at Vika.

"That is plain torture and inhumane" Vika said.

Just then Dimitri came back to the table with a plate full of food for Vika.

"Morning Vika" Dimitri said after he placed the food on the table. He then refilled his coffee and got Vika a cup as well and hot chocolate for me. As I watched him, I could detect a slight twinkle in his eye. He was such a good big brother and I could tell he was enjoying taking care of Vika.

We all walked over to the gym and Dimitri found a bench and sat me down on it. Vika came over and sat down next to me after she had dumped her gym bag.

"I can't believe you're here" Vika squealed now that she was more awake.

"Sorry, I don't mean to seem like a crazy stalker or something, but Dimka talked about you all the time, I feel like I know you." Vika clarified.

"I know what you mean, he talked about you and your family all the time too" I said.

Just then Guardian Logan entered the gym and Vika just froze. "Uh, Vika, I think you are drooling" I laughed.

"What?" Vika asked "Oh, sorry, OMG he's so hot, who is he?"

"That is Guardian Logan, your mentor if you want him" I said laughing at Vika's reaction.

"No, no, no, he can't be. I'll trip over my feet and say stupid stuff. I'll make a fool of myself" Vika said panicking.

"Vika, relax, you'll be fine. Dimitri and I are both here for you, plus today is just about testing." I reassured her.

Dimitri and Guardian Logan walked over to us and Dimitri said "Guardian Logan, this is Novice Rose Hathaway, my girlfriend and this is Novice Victoria Belikova, my sister."

"Nice to meet both of you, please call me Matt." Guardian Logan said.

"Nice to meet you as well" I said.

"Hi, you can call me Vika" she said shyly.

"Alright, Matt and Vika, I am going to test both of you to assess your skills. While Matt's primary function is to be Vika's mentor, you never know what might happen. Why don't the two of you start stretching." Dimitri said.

I watched Dimitri walk over to Guardian Cooper, Guardian Ellis and Guardian Andreev and they shortly followed Dimitri as he headed back to where I was sitting. Dimitri introduce the other guardians to Vika, then he explained "Novice Hathaway will not be joining in the training for the rest of the week per Drs orders. Eventually, I would like everyone to spar with her, but for the mean time she will just be observing. The rest of the guardians will be arriving over the next week, we will go over everything then. But for now, I just want to see what level everyone is at".

I watched as Dimitri pulled Celeste and Yuri aside and speak with them. I am betting that he wants Celeste to do the testing again so that Vika is not the only female and he is asking Yuri as well, so it is not so obvious.

Dimitri tested Vika and the guardians, the same way Pavel had tested us. A warmup, then timed run, sit ups, pushups and then sparring. He was saving the weapons training for later, since Vika had little experience as I did.

While Dimitri was watching the sparring, Guardian Brown came over and sat beside me and he had a photo album with him.

"How are you feeling Rose?" Guardian Brown asked.

"Okay" I answered hesitantly, not liking the idea that I might be gossip among the guardians.

He must have sensed my uneasiness and said "I was here yesterday helping Pavel monitor the guardians sparring with you."

"Oh" I responded.

"I thought if you were up to it, I could show some pictures from when you were young." Guardian Brown said.

"Sure, if you don't mind" I said.

"Not at all" he responded.

For the next half hour, we looked at pictures from when I was a baby up to right up to four years old before the academy. It appeared that as soon as I could walk, there were pictures of me in the gym with various guardians who were 'sparring' with me.

I don't know when my mother came to sit by me or when I had started crying, but I felt my mother put an arm around me. "Thank you, Chris," she said.

"No problem, let me know if you want to see the pictures again or if you want to talk." Guardian Brown stated.

I could only nod at him in response. I searched the gym for Dimitri and I found him off to the side watching Vika and Celeste spar. He looked at me with questions in his eyes. I knew he wanted to come and offer me comfort but also realized my mother was with me and he wanted to give us some time together.

I gave him a quick smile showing that I was appreciative of what he was doing and he went back to watching Vika and Celeste sparring.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" My mom asked me.

"Sure" I responded.

We walked along the pathway that surrounded the compound. Neither of us said anything for a while until my mom spoke up. "You used to call Guardian Brown, Brownie. I suspect that is where you get your love of brownies from. He would always find a way to sneak you a donut or brownie."

I laughed "Really?"

"Yep" She said with a big smile on her face. After that our conversation was easy, we talked about general things, not wanting to get into anything too heavy. But she did ask more questions about Lissa, Spirit and being shadow kissed.

I was upfront and candid about what I knew and had experienced. We were on our second lap of the trail when I noticed something flicking in the trees beyond the fence and ward line.

"Do you see that flickering?" I asked mom pointing to the area where I was looking at.

"No" she said.

"Hmmm" I stated still trying to figure out what I was seeing.

"Let's go back, Dimitri is probably done with the testing and it's almost lunch time."

I said goodbye to my mother and I walked up the stairs and into our room and heard the shower turn off. I peeked into the bathroom and saw my man drying himself off.

He looked up at me and said "Roza, you are drooling."

"Yes, I am" I said as I gave him my best maneater smile.

He wrapped himself in a towel and went to the sink to shave. I hopped on the counter to watch him shave and he gave me a kiss before he lathered his face with shaving cream.

I asked him "How did Vika do?"

"Really well, I am impressed. She's not as good as you, but I think with her having a mentor will help her." Dimitri said.

"Guardian Brown is going to help with the testing the guardians weapons training, so Celeste is going to stay with you and Vika. I figured the two of you could do your schoolwork." Dimitri stated as he washed the rest of the shaving cream off his face.

"Did you know that apparently I used to call Guardian Brown, Brownie and that he used to sneak me treats." I said laughing.

Dimitri laughed with me and then he gave me a kiss before he put on his aftershave and then he went into our closet to get dressed. We walked out to the kitchen to find all the Belikov women making lunch for us and the extra guardians.

"Mama is always happiest when cooking for a lot of people" Dimitri whispered in my ear. He then went over to kiss his mother, babushka, Karo and Sonya.

After lunch, Vika and I sat down at the kitchen counter and started doing our classwork. Baba had gotten a laptop so that Vika could do her work. Celeste was at the kitchen table doing her nails and reading some magazines.

About two hours later, Dimitri and the rest of the guardians including Guardian Logan returned from their weapons testing. Dimitri and Matt started working at the table to plan Vika and my training programs. It seemed like our training would be identical from what I was overhearing.

Matt then asked Vika to join him in the other room on the couch so they could discuss training. Dimitri came and sat next to me as he started to work on guarding schedules.

We worked for a while and then decided to have dinner in the meals area. We came back and the guys started watching a game on tv. It was a side of Dimitri I had never seen before. Vika and I sat in the kitchen talking about her, her family and growing up with Dimitri.

I caught her staring at Matt and asked "How is everything going with Matt?"

Vika replied "Okay, but"

"But what?" I asked.

"He's so hot looking that I have a hard time concentrating around him. I worry that I am going to say something stupid. How did you deal with it?" Vika asked.

I laughed and said "I said stupid things, spaced out while he was talking and drooled a little as well. But he did as well and it became an endearing time for us as well."

"But what if he doesn't feel the same about me?" Vika asked biting her lip.

"Well, then he is not worthy of you and there are plenty of other men out there as well. Don't put a lot of pressure on yourself, just have fun for now. Safe fun!" I emphasized.

Dimitri interrupted us and asked "What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing" we said simultaneously and then we broke into a fit of giggles.

Dimitri raised his eyebrow at us. "Roza, I'm going to bed. Night Vika" he said as he kissed her on the head.

"Me too" I said "Night Vika"

I followed Dimitri to our room. He locked our doors and he said "Come on let's get ready for bed."

We brushed our teeth and I changed into my pj short set and Dimitri stripped down to his boxers. He got into bed and held the cover open for me. He pulled me to him and kissed my forehead and said "I love you Roza"

"I love you too, Comrade" I said.

I heard Dimitri's breathing even out and then a little snore started. Poor Dimitri, with everything that has happened over the past week, he hasn't gotten much sleep. Since I am not allowed workout, maybe we can sleep in on Saturday morning.

I was fidgety and couldn't fall asleep. I slipped out of bed and went into our office. I checked my emails from St Vladimir's which I haven't done in a week. I started regretting that decision when I saw the amount of emails that I had.

I started with the Eddie's email and a few other novice's emails, mostly just wondering how I was doing and where was I and if I would be back for graduation. There wasn't much I could do except reassure them that I was okay and hopefully I would be back for graduation.

The next batch of emails were from Lissa, the earlier on emails were her going on and on about Christian trying to hurt her. They were obviously from when the darkness was building up so I read but did not respond to them.

Then she had sent me an email explaining what was going on with Adrian, pretty much everything I already knew from being in her head. Her last email was thanking me and my father for sending then extra guardians.

I responded to her by letting her know I was in her head when Adrian stopped by and that I had relayed that information to my father. And how Baba felt that Christian and her needed more security based on Adrian's actions and Tasha's actions.

I explained that I didn't give her my cellphone number yet because I hadn't asked Baba yet if that was a safe thing to do yet, but I would ask him if it was safe to give out to her.

Then I took a deep breath and started looking at Adrian's emails and I regretted it. I should have just stopped after Lissa's. The first ten emails weren't that bad, just asking me where I was, to please call him and that his great aunt had secured a house for him and I and plenty of guardians for me.

Oh, god, this was not good, there were five emails per day, for the first two days after I left. Then on Wednesday, there were 100 emails, and the were getting progressively worse. I only read a few but they were getting angrier and angrier.

He was demanding to know where I was and I better tell him right now. He also said that if I wasn't at Court with his protection I would last long on the outside. My head was reeling with what he was saying and I was starting to get anxious about what amounted to threats, when I smelled my favorite scent in the world.

Well, my two favorite scents actually, pine and chocolate. I looked to my right and saw my Russian god standing next to me with a cup of hot chocolate.

"Hey" I said.

"Hi" he responded as he bent down and gave me a quick kiss.

He handed me the mug of hot chocolate and asked "How long have you been standing here?"

"Long enough to read Adrian's emails over your shoulder." He said as I saw his hands clenched.

"Yeah, what are we going to do?" I asked.

"Standup" he said and I did. Dimitri sat down in the chair and then pulled me down to his lap and he started working on the computer, stopping every once in a while, to kiss my head or my cheek. He collected all the emails that Adrian had sent and put them into a folder and forwarded the email to Baba and Pavel.

"Come on, let's go back to bed and get some sleep" Dimitri said.

I stood up and got into bed with my Russian god, who pulled me to him and he enveloped me within his arms. He started whispering to me in Russian and he was kissing my hair and with a few minutes I had relaxed in his arms. Just before sleep took me, I heard him say "I will always protect you my Roza."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Increasing Threats

Dimitri's alarm went off and again I forgot where I was, so my hand went to hit the alarm but it was caught before I could hit the snooze button.

"Roza" Dimitri said in a sleepy voice.

"Sorry Comrade" I said.

Dimitri pulled me to him with the arm he had caught. I ended up lying on top of Dimitri as his hands went up and down my sides and I started to kiss his neck.

"This will never get old" Dimitri moaned.

I was just about to kiss him when there was a knock at the door.

"Ugh" I said as I put my head on Dimitri's chest. I rolled off him and off the bed and started towards the door but Dimitri stopped me.

"Hold on Roza, let me get it." Dimitri said as he got out of our bed, threw on a shirt and a pair of sweatpants and grabbed his stakes.

"Who is it?" Dimitri asked with one hand on the doorknob and one hand on his stake.

"Guardian Novak, I have a message for Novice Hathaway from Mr. Mazur." Dimitri opened the door and took the envelope from Guardian Novak. He closed and locked the door and handed me the letter.

I opened the letter and read aloud the message "Rose, please meet with your mother and I in the dining room on the second floor. Pavel has canceled this morning's training. Love Baba".

I looked at Dimitri and he just shrugged his shoulders. We took a shower together and then I got dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a zipped-up hoodie. Dimitri put on a pair of jeans and dark fitted sweater along with his boots. I loved Dimitri in his guardian uniform but I am discovering how much I love him in casual clothes.

We walked out of the bedroom to the kitchen where we found all the guardians waiting for us. We explained the note and Dimitri instructed the other guardians to follow the workout on the board in the gym. Celeste and Yuri followed us out and across the hall to the second-floor dining room.

There was a breakfast spread that was being set up by guardians from the kitchen. Pavel, Baba and Mom were already there and I was surprised to see Oksana and Mark here as well.

"Rose, how are you?" Baba asked.

"I'm alright" I responded.

Baba turned to address everyone "Alright why doesn't everyone grab some food and then we can discuss some issues."

Dimitri and I got a huge amount of food and I grabbed some fruit to balance out my donut. I think Dimitri is wearing me down in terms of healthy food. I got juice and coffee because I anticipated a long day ahead. After everyone had gotten food and were seated, Baba fiddled with the screen and I saw Lissa and Christian.

"Lissa, are you alright?" I asked surprised to see her.

"Yes, Rose" she replied.

"Princess Dragomir, Lord Ozera, thank you for joining us" Baba started. I would like to introduce my guardian of twenty years and Head of Security Pavel."

Pavel stood up and greeted Lissa and Christian. "As everyone here knows Rose has seen through the bond with Princess Dragomir that Adrian is affected by increasing darkness. Rose has also received numerous emails from Adrian, each getting worse and more threatening."

"Pavel and I read the emails that Rose received from Adrian. It is obvious that he is infatuated with Rose but the more worrisome part is that it seems the darkness is building up in him. Plus, the fact that the Queen has not interfered in his pursuit of Rose or intervened with his increasing darkness. In fact, it is almost as if she is supporting him by giving him use of the Royal Guardians" Baba stated.

Baba looked around the room giving us all a chance to process that information. "I sent six guardians after the first episode that Rose had witness to help bolster security for Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera. The Queen will overlook this detail as she will most likely assume that I am helping to protect them from Tasha Ozera."

"However, in light of Lord Ivashkov recent actions, I feel more steps need to be taken. Since neither of you have your parents, and you have helped Rose at a point when her mother and I were unable to be there, Janine and I would like to offer more protection. But Pavel, Janine and I agree that my idea of increasing protection for Princess Dragomir and Lady Ozera will anger the Queen." Baba stated.

Pavel stated "Mr. Mazur and I have decided the best course of action is to increase the number of guardians to a total of twenty-five. Mr. Mazur has a house at Court that is better equipped to handle the influx of guardians and will be more secure than staying in Palace owned rooms. Lastly, Mr. Mazur will have a plane at Court on standby, if needed it will fly Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera with all the guardians to his house in Turkey."

"Pavel, Janine and I think that based on the actions of Lord Ivashkov and the emails that he sent puts Rose's life in danger. It is our opinion that the Queen intends for Rose to be killed so that Adrian can heal her. Therefore, Rose's bond with the Princess will be severed and Rose will bond with Adrian so that Rose could take his darkness. From what we understand, Adrian has the ability to read auras, which would benefit the Queen as Adrian can relay who is lying to Her Majesty." Baba said as he gave us some time to process the information.

"Roza" Dimitri whispered to me and instinctively he pulled me closer to him.

"My first question is for Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera. Like I said before, I can increase the number of guardians for both of you as well as having a plane on standby. However, the consequences may be that you are never allowed back into Court and Princess Dragomir you will most likely not become Queen" Baba stated.

"Rose, Dimitri, Celeste, Yuri, if the Princess and Lord Ozera agreed to this, and if you continue to work for me then none of you will be allowed back to Court or assigned any other Guardian Post" Baba said.

Dimitri spoke up immediately "I am on board; I plan to protect Rose whenever and wherever."

Celeste and Yuri both agreed, they had no desire to go back to Court and would rather continue working for Baba and Pavel.

"Princess Dragomir, Lord Ozera, what are your thoughts about this?" Baba asked.

"While I am worried about Adrian's behavior, I was hoping to go to Leigh in the fall" Lissa said nervously.

"Lissa, you can't go to Leigh if your killed, injured or kidnapped. We will figure out a way for you to go to school" turning towards the screen Christian continued "Mr. Mazur, we would be very appreciative of any help you may have."

Pavel explained "Guardian James will be in charge of your security. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know."

"Thank you very much Mr. Mazur and Guardian Pavel" Lissa said.

Once Baba was finished, I introduced Oksana and Mark to Lissa and Christian. Oksana explained her abilities and inquired further into Lissa's and Adrian's abilities.

Oksana explained "One way to protect Rose from the darkness is to have you make a spirit charm using a piece of jewelry. I have already made a few pieces to help Rose to start with, but the charm will be stronger if it comes from you, since it's your darkness she is taking."

The six of us talked for a while before Lissa and Christian had to leave for dinner. Baba said he would be in touch in the next day or two and to expect the additional guardians to arrive tomorrow.

Once Lissa and Christian had hung up, I asked "Baba, I was wondering if it would still be safe for Dimitri and me along with Celeste and Yuri to go out on Saturday for dinner and dancing?"

Baba and Pavel looked at each other and Pavel said "Yes, that should be fine. Dimitri and I will discuss the security plans."

Celeste, Yuri, Dimitri and I left the dining room and headed back to the suite. Celeste and Yuri went to their rooms on the second floor and Dimitri and I climbed to the third floor. Once there, we found Vika and Matt on the couch talking.

"Hey Vika, Hey Matt" I said.

"Hi Rose, Hi Dimka" Vika said.

"Hey guys, so what's going on?" Matt asked.

Dimitri and I sat down on the couch and he pulled me to him and tucking me under his arm. Dimitri took a deep breath and blew it out and said "So Rose is shadow kissed, she died and was brought back to life by Princess Dragomir."

"The one where her whole family died?" Vika asked.

"Yes" I said "If Lissa has intense emotions, I can get pulled into her head. I can see what she sees, hear what she hears and hear her internal thoughts or moods. Spirit use causes darkness which I can take away from her and burn it off."

I waited for a response, but it took about a minute before Vika and Matt processed the information.

"Wow" Vika said with a shocked expression.

Dimitri continued for me "Adrian, who is the Queens great nephew is a Spirit user as well, but he does not have a bond mate. He deals with his darkness by drinking and smoking."

"Adrian has been harassing Lissa and Christian to figure out where I am. Plus, Adrian has sent me increasingly aggressive emails." I told Vika and Matt.

"Abe and Pavel have sent guardians to Court to protect Lissa and Christian because the Royal Guardians are protecting Adrian" Dimitri said.

"Vika, because of this, there is a chance we will not be allowed to work as guardians for Court and you may not be able to graduate from St Basil's depending on how this situation plays out" Dimitri stated.

"What?" Vika huffed out. "I've studied for my entire life for this, what am I supposed to do?"

"Right now, we will continue to train you and Rose as if the plan is for you to graduate. It will be a wait and see what happens situation. But Mr. Mazur understands the fear of not being a working guardian for Court, so he is offering positions here" Dimitri said.

Vika relaxed as she heard that there was a potential job for her. Just then Dimitri's family walked in to prepare lunch for everyone. After being shooed out of the kitchen by Olena, I asked Dimitri "Is she okay making lunch for everyone? I don't want to burden her."

"Trust me Roza, Mama is in her element cooking for a large group of people" Dimitri stated as he encircled his arms around me.

"So, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?" I asked.

"After lunch, Vika and you can do your schoolwork. Then, I was thinking that Matt and I can spar with the new guardians assigned to you. They are probably antsy over the lack of a workout" Dimitri said.

"I get that, I'm getting antsy. Is there any way I can do some training?" I begged.

"After lunch, I will call Dr. Morozov and see if it's safe for you to train" Dimitri said.

"Thank you" I said kissing Dimitri on the lips. Just then my stomach decided to growl letting the world know that it needed food asap. Dimitri and I stood up as the rest of the guardians came up to join us for lunch. Dimitri introduced his family to the guardians who were protecting Rose.

"Mrs. Belikov, thank you so much for making lunch, it was delicious" I said.

"Oh, Rose, please call me Olena and I am glad that you like my cooking" Olena replied.

"Yes, thank you Mama, it was delicious" Dimitri said. "Rose, why don't you and Vika go do your schoolwork in the office. Celeste, do you mind staying here with them?"

"Sure, I can stay with them" Celeste stated.

"Alright" Dimitri addressed the rest of the guardians "Let's clean up and then Logan do you mind helping me with the sparring with the guardians?"

"Nope" Matt said as he and the other guardians got up and started clearing from lunch.

Vika, Celeste and I went in, to the office, Celeste grabbed one of the comfy chairs and then Vika and I pulled out our laptops. It turns out our assignments were very similar and which would make doing the work so much easier.

About fifteen minutes later, Dimitri walked in and said "Roza, I spoke with Morozov, and she said you can work out and spar, but if you feel dizzy or anything, then stop. Matt and I are going to work with the rest of the team. Why don't you and Vika come down in about two hours."

"Okay" I replied and Dimitri leaned in and gave me a quick kiss.

Two hours later, Vika and I had gotten thru a decent amount of schoolwork. But we both agreed our brains were fried. So, we stopped and Vika went home to change as Celeste and I got changed and headed towards the gym.

We walked in and Dimitri was talking with Matt and Vika and as though he could sense me, he turned around and gave me a huge smile. Celeste and I went over to them and since Celeste's arm was still healing Dimitri asked if she would mind helping with monitoring a third group of guardians that were sparring.

"Rose, why don't you and Vika do a warmup around the track and then spot each other with weights." Dimitri suggested.

Vika and I stretched before running around the track. And as soon as we started running, I started to interrogate her about Matt.

"So, what were you and Matt discussing?" I said with a smirk.

"Nothing, something, I don't know" she said frustrated.

Understanding her frustration with the potential relationship, I said "Why don't you start with today, when we came back you two looked comfy."

"He came to the house because he wasn't sure whether I was aware that practicing had been canceled for the morning. And I hadn't, I was leaving to go to the gym as he came up to the house. He said that the other guardians were going to work out in the gym, so he suggested that we go to your suite. He wanted to discuss what I hoped to gain with him mentoring and what ideas he had" Vika explained.

We had finished our warmups on the track and went over to lift weights. "Do you think that you can work with him?" I asked.

"Yes, he is really easy to talk with and I like his plan for training. He even said if I needed help with schoolwork, he would help me" Vika said and it hard to miss the dreamy look she had on her face.

I laughed and she said "What?"

"Nothing, I am happy that you think he can help you."

"Do you mind me asking how it was with you and Dimitri?" Vika asked.

"Until very recently, I knew I has a crush on him, but he was trying to fight his feelings form me."

"Why?" Vika interrupted.

"A couple of reasons, we are both slated to be Princess Dragomir's guardians, he's my mentor and I am his student and the seven-year age difference" I told her.

Vika started laughing.

"What?" I asked.

"You have that dreamy far away look" Vika laughed. And I started laughing with her. I could see why Dimitri thought that Vika and I would get along. We both had the same sense of humor.

Just then Dimitri came over to where we were doing weights and asked "What are you two laughing at?"

"Nothing" we said simultaneously, which caused us to laugh even more. Dimitri released a large sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose as he said "I've created a monster."

"Yup, but you love me" I smirked at him.

"Yes, I do" Dimitri said as he pulled me in for a hug.

"So Vika, why don't you spar with Matt so he can get a feel for his fighting style and then Rose and I will spar." Dimitri instructed.

We went over to the sparring ring and Vika and Matt started stretching. "I talked with Pavel while you were doing your schoolwork and he said that we should take six extra guardians with us tomorrow night. Are you excited? I can wait to dance with you Milaya." Dimitri said kissing the top of my head.

"I can't wait either, technically it will be my first official date" I said with a big smile on my face.

Matt and Vika squared off and started sparring. Dimitri got into guardian mode carefully watching them and narrating the fight for everyone. I was surprised as I was watching Vika spar and I turned to Dimitri and said "Comrade, she's good, she would probably be one of the top novices at St Vladimir's."

"Yes, she would. I'm glad we have this time and we can increase her training, both of your trainings."

Vika was getting some good hits on Matt, but Matt was finally able to get her to the ground and like Dimitri does with me, Matt used his body weight to pin her and stake her. Matt held his hand out for Vika and helped her up. I gave Vika a high five and said "Vika, that was awesome."

"Yes, Vika, that was great. Rose said and I agree, you would have been a top novice at St Vladimir's. What was your ranking at St Basil's?" Dimitri asked.

"I was okay" Vika said shyly.

"Vika was the top female novice at St Basil's. I checked her records that they sent over" Matt said almost with pride.

"Vika, why didn't you tell me" Dimitri asked.

"I don't know, I didn't want to brag." Vika replied.

Dimitri pulled Vika in for a hug and said "I'm so proud of you."

I knew Dimitri felt closer to Vika, partly due to her being younger and because she was following in his footsteps. And I think Dimitri being proud of her was the best compliment as evident by the biggest smile on her face.

"Are you ready to show them how it's done Novice Hathaway?" Dimitri smirked.

"Of course, Guardian Belikov" I said as I gave him my best maneater smile.

Dimitri and I walked into the sparring ring and I realized it has almost been a week since we last sparred and I realized I just how much I missed it. Dimitri must have picked up on my change in emotions because he straightened up out of his defense position and closed the gap between us.

"What's wrong Roza?" Dimitri asked as he held my face.

"Nothing I just realized how much I missed this, us sparring" I whispered.

"Me too" he said as he kissed me. "Are you ready?"

"Ready to kick your butt" I replied.

We both got into position and we started circling each other. I could tell that Dimitri was going to stay on the defensive so I went on the offensive and I punched his right shoulder as I simultaneously tried to sweep both his legs out from under him. He was able to block my punch and jumped before I could kick his legs out.

"Good move, Roza" Dimitri said as we got back into fighting stance. This time Dimitri went on the offense and he charged me, but I got pulled into Lissa's head.

Adrian was in front of Lissa with the Royal Guard and as Lissa looked around I didn't see Christian, but at least Lissa's Guardians were surrounding her. Thankfully Adrian seemed to be a little bit calmer and was asking Lissa where I was instead of yelling at her.

"Lissa, don't lie to me. I know you were talking to Rose earlier. Where is she?" Adrian asked.

"Dimitri?" I asked.

"Yes, Roza I got you" Dimitri answered.

"Adrian is with Lissa asking her where I am, he seems calmer but I don't know where Christian is" I said.

"Yes Adrian, Christian and I were talking with Rose this morning because she met a couple who were shadow kissed and they were giving us some insight." Lissa said.

"Well, why didn't you let me know, I would have loved to talk to them as well. Where are they? I am sure that Aunt Tatiana would be happy to fly them in or we could fly out to them. That way you can see Rose." Adrian said a little too sweet for my liking.

"Adrian, I don't know where Rose is, she didn't say where she was" Lissa said. I could feel Lissa starting to panic.

"Comrade, call Lissa and tell her to calm down so I can get out of her head and I will talk with Adrian." I instructed Dimitri. I hope this will work and not backfire.

I heard Lissa's phone ring and she pulled it out and answered it.

"Put it on speaker" Adrian demanded.

"Hello" Lissa asked.

"Princess Dragomir, it's Guardian Belikov. Rose got pulled into your head and she wants you to try to calm down, so she can get out and then she can speak with Adrian." Dimitri said.

I could see Adrian's face light up when he heard that. But unfortunately, Lissa wasn't calming down.

"Comrade, she's not calming down, can you find out where Christian is?" I asked.

"Yes, Guardian Logan is on it" Dimitri responded.

"See if Adrian will let her leave the room, if she leaves the phone" I asked.

I heard Dimitri asking the question and I felt Lissa anxiety decrease a little, but Adrian said "As soon as I let Lissa go, Rose might hang up."

Ugh, with that Lissa anxiety went right back up. But then Christian came into the room with more guardians and I felt Lissa relax and I was able to pull out of her head. As I got acclimated to my surroundings in the gym I was confused as to why I was sitting in Dimitri's lap, but I needed to talk to Adrian to try and get him to leave Lissa and Christian alone.

"Adrian?" I asked.

"Little dhampir, where are you? I have been trying to get a hold of you. Did you get any of my emails?" Adrian asked.

I saw that Baba and Pavel had come into the gym and Baba was shaking his head no, for me to tell Adrian. "No, Adrian, I haven't been able to get into my account to read my emails."

"Don't lie to me Rose, I know that you have read them and I even know that you have read and responded to Lissa's emails." Adrian stated.

Fuck, this was not going well.

"Your right Adrian, I did read a few of them, but I couldn't read them all, you were getting kind of aggressive" I said.

"Sorry, Rose, I was just trying to get your attention. Just tell me where you are and I can come get you with the Royal Guard and bring you home to Court" Adrian told me.

"Adrian, I appreciate what you are offering, but I'm here with my parents and we are making up for lost time."

"Rose, why would you want to stay with them, they abandoned you for almost 18 years" Adrian said.

"Adrian, I appreciate what you are saying, but you need to respect my decision to get reacquainted with my parents. And I need you to leave Lissa and Christian alone, they do not know where I am. How about I call you on Sunday and we can talk more then, maybe we can talk with the shadow kissed couple?" I asked praying this would work.

Adrian was quiet for a while and then he said "Okay little dhampir, I will talk to you on Sunday."

I hung up the phone and relaxed into Dimitri embrace. I looked up at Baba and he said "Rose, that was good negotiating maybe I should train you to be a mobster instead of a guardian. But in all seriousness, we learned that he is monitoring Princess Dragomir's communications. Pavel and I are going to update Guardian James and to see how much the Princess's communications have been compromised. Have a good night, kiz"

"Kiz?" I asked.

"It means daughter" Baba said.

"I like it" I said.

After Baba and Pavel left, I asked Dimitri "Why am I in your lap?"

"When I went on the offense and charged you, I could tell you were pulled into Lissa's head. I pulled you in to me and rolled over protecting you" Dimitri said.

"Wow, close call" I said.

"Yeah, to close for my comfort. I think we are going to need to work on helping you extracting yourself from Lissa's head'" Dimitri stated.

Speaking to the rest of the group Dimitri said "How about everyone gets cleaned up and then come upstairs for an informal dinner tonight."

We all walked backed to the suite and Dimitri and I went to the third floor where there were guardians already setting up food for dinner.

Once we reached our bedroom, Dimitri closed and locked our door. He sat down in one for the comfy chairs and he pulled me down to sit on his lap.

"What's up Comrade?" I asked as I could tell he was a little off.

"Nothing milaya, I just need a minute" he said as his arms pulled me tighter to his chest.

"Comrade, are you okay?" I was getting more worried about him.

"Yes, it just freaked me out that I could have hurt you if I hadn't realized that you got pulled into Lissa's head. And what if that happens while you are fighting a strigoi, you are totally vulnerable" Dimitri expressed his concerns.

"We will figure it out Comrade" I said as I gave him a tight squeeze. "Now let's go take a shower because you stink!" I said laughing.

"Is that so?" Dimitri responded.

"Yup" I said playfully.

"Well, let's fix that" Dimitri said as he stood up with me in his arms and brought me into the bathroom. He started undressing me and himself, then he grabbed my hand and led me into the shower. We washed each other in a loving way, just being in the moment. We tried not to take too long cognizant of the fact that the other guardians would be coming upstairs shortly.

Dimitri and I finished the shower, he shaved and then we got dressed in casual clothes. We walked out to the kitchen and there was an insane amount of food but we were feeding nine dhampirs. The dining room table was beautifully set and most of the guardians were gathering in the living area, where there were appetizers and drinks.

Once everyone was upstairs, Dimitri addressed everyone "I just wanted to thank everyone for accepting this position to protect Novice Hathaway. We are still waiting for a few more guardians to arrive over the next few days. At that point we will discuss specifics, but I just wanted to have an informal dinner so everyone can get acquainted. Tomorrow night we will be going into town for dinner and dancing, we will split into pairs to guard Rose, we will be leaving her at 7pm, no uniforms just dress casually."

Dimitri was alerted that dinner was ready and we all went and sat down. It was a fun night just relaxing and enjoying each other's company. One by one everyone went back to their rooms. When Dimitri and I retired to our room, Vika and Matt were still on the couch talking to each other.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Date Night

I was slowly waking up and becoming more aware of my surroundings. I could feel Dimitri behind me, my back to his chest. His arms were holding me tight and he was kissing the back of my neck.

"Morning Comrade" I said with a sleep laden voice.

"Morning Roza" Dimitri said much more cheerful than I was.

"What are you so happy about this morning?" I asked.

"I get to take my beautiful girlfriend out on a real date" he responded.

"Yes, I can't wait. What time is it?" I asked.

"About 9:30am" Dimitri responded.

I bolted up, as I was so used to getting up every morning to train with Dimitri.

"Relax Roza, it's Saturday, I think we all deserve to sleep late." Dimitri reassured. "How about we get dressed and see what's for breakfast and then how about we run the perimeter of the property. I have yet to see it." Dimitri pondered.

"That sounds good. Mom and I walked it the other day, it was pretty nice and well maintained" I said.

Dimitri and I got up and put on workout clothes and headed for the dining area. It was deserted, but since we were normally here earlier, I wasn't surprised. Once we both had food and were sitting, I asked "So, what's the plan for tonight? What time are we leaving?"

"I made arrangements for dinner at 7:30 pm, so we will leave here about 7:15 pm, it's not that far away. We have a table for two, so even though we have guardians with us, they will be in the distance" Dimitri said as he picked up and kissed my hand.

"Then after dinner, they have dancing. I can't wait to get you in my arms." Dimitri stated as I felt myself blush. "And then, later, maybe some loving?" Dimitri finished.

"Sounds like fun Comrade" I responded.

We finished breakfast and went out to the trail surrounding the perimeter of the compound. We started stretching and for the first time in a while, I felt normal. At the academy it was always just me and Dimitri, but for the past week someone was always with us.

We had completed one lap of the perimeter when we came to the same spot where I had seen something flickering in the woods. I stopped running and was trying to get a better view of it close to the fence.

Dimitri stopped and asked "What is it Roza?"

"Do you see that area where it looks like there is a light flickering?" I asked.

Dimitri looked where I was pointing "I don't see anything".

"It was here when Mom and I were walking along here the other day." I told him.

"Come on Roza, let's finish running in the gym. It's most likely nothing but I'll let security know, so they can check it out."

As we walked to the gym, Dimitri pulled out his phone and alerted security what I had seen and where I had seen it. We ran for another hour and then decided to call it quits. I couldn't explain it but I was feeling flat and I knew Dimitri could tell also because he kept glancing at me.

We got to the third floor and the aromas coming from the kitchen made my stomach growl so loud.

"It smells like Mama is cooking in the kitchen."

"Comrade, she shouldn't be cooking for us on the weekend. She should be able to relax too" I said.

"Roza, relax, this is her form of relaxing. Mama loves cooking, the more the merrier" Dimitri said. "Come on, let's take a quick shower and see what she's made today."

Dimitri quickly stripped himself of his clothes and turned the shower on. He turned towards me and asked "Roza, what's the matter?" as he realized still had my clothes on.

"I don't know Comrade; I just feel weird." I answered.

"Good weird or bad weird?" Dimitri asked as he slowly undressed me

"I'm not sure" I answered.

"Bond related?" he asked.

"Maybe, I don't feel the rage like I normally do, I just feel off" I responded.

Once Dimitri had finished taking my clothes off, he pulled me to his chest and I immediately started feeling better. He pulled me into the shower and in a loving manner, he started to wash me.

Dimitri put me under the spray to get my hair wet and then he started massaging my shampoo in. As I rinsed my hair out, Dimitri quickly washed himself. Once I got the shampoo out, I put conditioner in my hair while Dimitri rinsed himself off.

I was starting to realize that if Dimitri and I were touching I felt okay, but when he stopped, even though he was right in front of me, the uneasiness came back.

Once Dimitri was done washing himself, he started to gently wash me. Dimitri was figuring out as well, that I was feeling better with his touch.

"Why don't you check on Lissa, see if she is okay" Dimitri said.

I went into her head and she was having a fight with Christian about whether they should stay at Court or leave. Christian wanted to leave and Lissa wanted to stay. I got out of her head because I didn't want to hear anymore.

"Christian and Lissa are fighting about whether they should stay at Court" I informed Dimitri.

Dimitri turned off the water and helped me out of the shower. He wrapped me in a towel as he quickly toweled himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He started drying me in a loving way and I was relishing the closeness.

"Comrade" was all I could get out.

"I got you baby" Dimitri said as he scooped me up bridal style and placed me gently on the bed. He climbed on top of me and rested more weight on me than normally but it was just what I needed.

He started kissing me in a soft loving way. But as I started kissing him urgently, he returned the same passionate kiss. He started kissing my neck and worked his way down to my breasts as he unwrapped my towel. Dimitri was kissing my right breast as his hand went to my left breast. He then kissed his way to my left breast giving it the same attention. I was loving this connection with him and I was arching my back to be closer to him. His hand left my breast and slowly it went down my abs and then his fingers separated my lips while he said "So wet for me Roza".

"Please" I responded.

Dimitri pulled his towel off and nudged my legs apart so he could get his legs between mine. He held his weight on one arm as he grabbed his cock and rubbed it with my juices and then lined himself up. He slowly pushed himself inside of me and we both groaned at the feeling.

As usual, Dimitri was able to read my mood and knew what I needed. He set a very slow pace pulling almost the whole way out and then pushing back in while he was kissing my neck. This was true love making, I didn't care if I had an orgasm or not, I just needed to feel him in the most intimate way.

I could feel Dimitri speeding up, so I knew he was getting close to his own orgasm. But what I was not anticipating was my own orgasm. I was so concentrated on where we were joined that I was not concentrating on my body. I screamed Dimitri's name as my orgasm took over which then spurred Dimitri's orgasm as he yelled my name.

We stayed in that position, him still inside of me. Neither of us wanted to move and were relishing in the moment. After awhile in that position, Dimitri asked "How are you feeling Roza?"

"Better" I responded.

Dimitri pulled out of me and rolled off me and on to his back but he pulled me with him.

"Thanks Comrade, I love you" I said.

"I love you too Roza" he said.

Of course, my stomach had to ruin the moment by demanding food at that very instant.

Dimitri laughed and said "Come on, let's see what's for lunch".

We both got out of bed, Dimitri went to the closet and I went to the bathroom to clean up. Dimitri walked into the bedroom with just a pair of sweatpants on that hung low on his hips.

"See something you like Roza?" Dimitri smirked.

"Everything" I said as I stood on my tippy toes to kiss him.

He said "Roza, you better get dressed or I might take you right here." He handed me my leggings and a long-sleeved shirt of his.

"Hmmm" I pondered "That sounds like a good idea." But of course, my stomach voiced its displeasure.

"Come on Roza" Dimitri laughed. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he pulled a shirt over his head.

"More like myself. I still feel better when I am in contact with you, but the feelings are not as intense." I said. "I'm sorry, I feel like I was using you a little."

Dimitri grabbed my face with both of his hands and said "Roza, I am here for you however you need me."

"Thanks Comrade."

Dimitri and I walked out into the kitchen which smelled amazing. "You are just in time" Olena said.

We sat down at the table and Dimitri pulled my chair right next to him. I was almost sitting in his lap. Sonya watching our interaction said "Really Dimka, do we have to watch this at the dinner table?"

Dimitri looked at Sonya and said "It's a bond thing, Lissa is upset and it is affecting Rose. She feels better when she is near me. So yes, we have to sit this close."

That shut down that conversation, which I was happy about because I just didn't have the energy to explain right now. Dimitri started dishing foods that he thought I would like and we had a nice leisurely lunch with the Belikov family plus our guardians.

"Dimitri, I want to call Lissa and make sure she is okay" I said.

"Okay, come on, let's call from the study" Dimitri said.

Dimitri followed me into our room than the study. Dimitri started reading one of his books while I called Lissa.

It took her awhile to answer and when she did, she said "Hello" but it was evident in her voice that she had been crying.

"Lissa, what's going on, what happened?" I said.

"I think Christian breaking up with me, we had such a huge argument." Lissa cried.

And for the next hour Lissa explained in detail what had happened. I did my best to calm her down and told her not to jump to conclusions.

"Lissa, just give Christian some time and then let him explain his point of view" I told her.

"Thanks Rose, I will talk to you later and let you know how it goes" Lissa said.

"Ok Lissa, love you and tell fire crotch I love him too" I said laughing.

I hung up the phone and stood up and made my way over to Dimitri and sitting on his lap. I said "Sorry Comrade, I didn't expect it would take that long."

"Don't worry about it, I think you both needed to talk with each other." Dimitri responded.

When we walked out of the bedroom everyone was helping to clean up from lunch. Celeste, Yuri, Vika, Matt, Dimitri and I went to the living area to relaxed and to watch a movie. As soon as the movie finished, the guys started watching a football (soccer) game on the big flat screen tv.

Celeste ran downstairs and reappeared with a bag, some clothes and a pair of shoes. As Vika started pulling me towards my bedroom she said "Dimka, you have two minutes to pick out your outfit tonight before you are barred from your room."

"Um, okay Vika, were I am I going to take a shower?" Dimitri asked skeptically.

"You can shower in the office, but the bedroom and bathroom are off limits" Vika stated while sticking her tongue out at him.

Dimitri followed us to the bedroom, he went to the closet and picked out some clothes and then went to the bathroom to get his shower supplies. As he was leaving, I saw him give Vika a look which told me that this was planned from the beginning.

Celeste put her clothes on the bed and then her shower stuff in the bathroom. Vika flicked on the tv and found some music for us to listen to, thankfully she did not share her brother's taste in music. When Celeste emerged Vika said "Okay, let's figure out what you should wear."

All three of us went into the closet to look at what options I had for tonight. I had to admit to myself that I was nervous. Even though Dimitri and I had been through hell and back, it was truly the first time I was going out on a date.

Vika was like a tornado, pulling outfits out and throwing them at Celeste and I to put on the bed to narrow our selections.

Since it was cold outside, it's Russia in the middle of winter for god's sake, and that Dimitri wanted to dance, I knew I wanted to wear boots with a heel on it. Plus, my man is into country music, so I suspected that might be on the playlist tonight.

I grabbed my boots and brought them out, so that we could look to see what best goes with them. They were black boots with a chunky heel and came up to just below my knee. The three of us decided on a skirt that went to my knees and bellowed out when I turned. And we matched it with an off the shoulder black sweater.

Celeste went over to my underwear drawer and started rummaging through it looking for the perfect bra and panties. Vika grabbed the rest of the dresses that we had decided against and walked towards the closet and said "Eww, I do not want to see what lingerie you are wearing for my brother" as she ran into the closet to hide.

Celeste and I started laughing hysterically at Vika's antics. We picked out a black lacy thong that left nothing to the imagination and a matching strapless bra with see through lace. Vika called from the closet "Is it safe to come out yet?"

"Yes" Celeste and I said at the same time.

"Okay, Roza, go take your shower, shave whatever you need to just don't tell me about it." Vika said as Celeste and I were in tears by this point. Before I could make it to the bathroom, there was a knock on the door.

I went over to the door asking "Who's there?"

"It's Sasha, I have some snacks for you ladies"

I looked back at the girls questioning whether they had ordered anything and they both shrugged no. I opened the door and Sasha rolled in a trolley and explained "Good evening Rose, Vika and Celeste, the boys ordered a little spread for you as you get ready for tonight. There is champagne and some nibbles for you."

"Thank you, Sasha," I said as I looked over the spread.

"Miss Belikova, these are for you." Sasha said as she pulled what appeared to be eleven pink roses from under the trolley.

"Thank you, Sasha," I said as Vika accepted the flowers. To say that Vika was shocked was an understatement. For a whole minute she did not move or speak, I honestly don't think she took a breath.

"Vika" I said trying to bring her out of her shocked state "who are they from?"

She finally looked around and saw a note and she pulled it out and started reading it. I watched a blush slowly creep up her face.

"Vika" I all but screamed "what's going on, who are they from?"

"Guardian Logan, he asked me to join everyone tonight" She said with a big smile on her face. But just as soon as the smile formed her face dropped.

"What is it Vika?" I asked as I approached her.

"It's probably just a training thing" She said quickly trying to cover up the excitement that she was feeling.

Both Celeste and I went to Vika and I said "Vika, while I may be new to the outside dating world, I can assure you no man sends flowers to ask about a training assignment."

"Are you sure?" Vika asked.

Celeste and I nodded our heads enthusiastically and then that spark of excitement was back in Vika's eyes. Celeste popped open the champagne and filled glasses for everyone and then cheer each other for a fun night.

There was another knock on the door and I answered it and it was Karo with a bag.

"Vika, I hope you don't mind, but I went thru your stuff, a little birdie told me you might need a nice dress for tonight. I picked a few different selections, some shoes and your shower stuff and hair and makeup."

Vika had the biggest smile on her face as she hugged Karo and we quickly emptied the bag and looked at her selections. We decided to go with a full-length dress with a cardigan sweater and flat shoes. It was obvious Karo was trying to go for a pretty but subdued look, knowing full well that Dimitri would be watching closely. From our conversations at St Vlad's, I knew that Dimitri was the epitome of an overprotective brother.

I was shoved in the shower first, then Vika and then Celeste. Karo stayed around to help with hair and makeup and I felt a small pang because in the past this was what Lissa and I would do. But I was also happy to be spending time with Dimitri's family, especially since I knew how close Dimitri was with them.

Karo had started on styling my hair once I had dried it. "So, what were you all doing here so late last night?" Karo asked.

"Nothing, we all went to bed early" I responded.

"Vika" Karo said.

"Why what happened?" I asked looking back and forth between them.

"Vika came home at around 2 am last night and said it was about training" Karo said giving Vika a look that only older sister can do.

I looked at Vika and she was blushing and not meeting any of our eyes. "Sit down and spill." I demanded.

Vika sat in the chair as Karo did her hair and Celeste was doing her make-up. She shyly admitted that her and Guardian Logan sat on the couch and just talked for hours. She said she looked at the clock and realized how late it was. So, when she told Matt that she needed to go home before her family was worried.

Then she admitted that he walked her home. But that was it nothing else happened. When she finished telling her story, she had the biggest smile on her face.

Celeste did her own make-up and it was very subtle, not that she really needed it. She was beautiful with out any help. She was wearing black skinny jeans, with black boots and a V neck shirt and not that she had any flaws but it did accentuate her natural curves.

Vika and I finished getting dressed, now that our make-up and hair were done. I thought I heard the shower in the office but I wasn't sure because we were all gabbing and had music on.

Celeste refilled out glasses and then gave one to Karo as well. Just before we were to toast, there was a knock at the door. Celeste opened it up and Baba and Mom walked in.

"Hi Rosemarie, wow you three all look so lovely" Mom said.

"Yes, you three are beautiful. Rose, I hope you don't mind but we just wanted to come by and see you before you go on your first official date." Baba said.

"Thank you, Mom and Baba," I said.

Karo then directed us all to get together and she took a bunch of pictures.

Mom came over to me and hugged me and told me "Have a wonderful night Rosemarie."

Then Baba came over to me and he gave me a hug as well. When he stepped back, he said "You don't have to, but this used to be my mothers. It's a nazar, it helps ward of evil spirits."

"I love it" I said as my mom helped me put it on. It matched my outfit and it hung perfectly on me.

Mom and Baba said their goodbyes. Then, we all toasted with Karo. She said for us to have fun and that she was expecting to hear everything that happens. She gave us all hugs and we thanked her for her help and she left to go back to the house.

The three of us looked at each other and I had to admit that we looked good. Celeste looked excited to be going out, but then her and Yuri have been dating for a while, but it was nice for them to get out and have some fun.

Vika looked perfect but I could tell she was anxious about going on a date with Matt and nervous about Dimitri being there. I assured her that I would try to keep Dimitri busy so that she could relax and enjoy the evening.

I was ready and I hoped Dimitri liked my outfit and I really hoped he like what I was wearing underneath as well. The champagne was giving me a little liquid courage, so I was ready to see my man.

We all walked out and we found the guys in the kitchen drinking some beers and had some snacks as well. As soon as Dimitri saw me, Yuri and Matt looked in our direction and all three of them dropped their jaws.

**I hope everyone is safe and sound out there.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26: A Perfect Night

Dimitri was the first one to step forward, when he reached me, he cupped my face and said "Roza, you are the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen."

"Thank you, Comrade, you look very handsome yourself" I said. He was wearing black pants, a white button up shirt and a black suit jacket. He had the first button undone, his hair was neatly tied back and he looked incredibly hot. He bent down and gave me the sweetest of kisses. He brought his right arm out from behind his back and presented me with 11 lavender roses. Normally I do not like roses but in this case, I loved them.

I took the bouquet from him and said "Comrade, these are beautiful".

"I know you don't like rose themed gifts, but there was nothing more beautiful than these flowers, well except you" Dimitri said with a little bit of a blush running up his neck.

"I love them Comrade, they are perfect" I said.

"Miss Hathaway, may I put them in water for you?" Sasha asked.

"Yes, thank you" I replied.

I had noticed that Yuri had given Celeste a dozen red roses and they were holding each other and were whispering to each other.

I noticed that Matt had not approached Vika yet, although his eyes had not left hers. She was staring back at him as if they were having their own conversation. Dimitri interrupted as he stepped next to Vika and took both of her hands and said "Vika, you look very beautiful. I want you to enjoy tonight, Matt and I have spoken and I have given him my blessing."

"Thank you Dimka" Vika responded.

Dimitri kissed both of Vika's cheeks and then he whispered in her ear "Don't worry about anything tonight, Mr. Mazur has taken care of everything. I will try to give you your space tonight, but if you need me, I will be right there." Dimitri kissed her forehead and took one of her hands and guided her to Matt, who took her other hand.

Dimitri came over to me and encircled his arms around me and I put my hands on his chest. "Comrade, that was so nice of you." I said.

"Well, we had a long talk, he's a good man and he likes Vika. And I think Vika likes him, so I thought why not let them explore a relationship, but under the careful eye of her big brother" Dimitri shrugged.

"Well, I definitely know that Vika is interested in Matt" I said as I gave Dimitri a kiss. I noticed that Sasha had placed Celeste's flowers in a vase as well.

"Milaya, if anything happens tonight, promise me that you and my sister will go with Celeste and Yuri and they will bring you back here. No questions and no arguing, okay."

"Okay, I promise" I said as I went on my tippy toes to kiss him.

"Are you ready Roza?" Dimitri asked and I nodded and then he turned to the rest of the group "Everyone ready to go?"

A chorus of yeses and yeps followed. Dimitri grabbed my hand and we walked downstairs where we had three SUVs waiting for us.

"Celeste and Yuri will be in the second SUV with us. Vika and Matt, you are going into the last SUV. The remaining guardians split up between the three SUVs" Dimitri ordered.

We got into the SUV and once we were seated Dimitri grabbed my hand and kissed it. When I looked up into his face, he had the biggest smile on his face. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

"So, I was wondering why Vika and I got eleven flowers?" I asked.

"In Russian culture, an even number of flowers are reserved for funerals, Russian's are big on flowers and their rules" Dimitri responded.

It took about ten minutes to get to the restaurant and Dimitri and I were quickly shown to our table. It was a little half circle booth with a high back, so it felt like we were in our own private area. Dimitri ordered a bottle of champagne and once the server had left, he raised his glass and said "Roza, I am so in love with you and I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. You are my soul mate, my best friend and my lover".

I had tears coming down my face and I said "I love you Comrade". Dimitri wiped away my tears and kissed me. We clinked glasses and I took a sip of the champagne, I liked the taste of it, but I have only ever had a sip or two with Lissa and her family on holidays, so I was no expert.

Dimitri held my hand and he was rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. He had such a goofy smile on his face that it made me giggle.

"What are you giggling about?" he asked me.

"You have a goofy smile on your face."

"So, do you" he said and we both broke out in laughter after that. But of course, my stomach had to ruin things. I opened my menu but it was all in Russian. "Are you ever going to teach me Russian" I asked trying to sound annoyed but failed miserably.

"Eventually, I am sure Vika will teach you the swear words, so I better teach you the rest. Would you like for me to choose for you or do you want me to read the menu to you?"

"You can choose, I trust you, you always seemed to know what I will like".

"How about Red Borscht, Chicken Kiev and Beef Stroganoff? The portions are big, because it is a dhampir town and we can share."

"Sounds good Comrade"

Once we placed our order, Dimitri asked me "How are you feeling about everything that has happened recently with Lissa and Adrian, Mark and Oksana and coming to Russia?"

"It's been a whirlwind for sure, I am hoping things will slow down, so that you and I can get back into a routine. I have really missed out morning and afternoon workout sessions."

"Me too, milaya. The rest of the guardians should be here tomorrow except for Guardian Sokolov, he was on leave with his family, so he will come back as soon as he can. But since he already works for your father, it won't be much of an adjustment for him."

"Is everything okay with his family?" I asked Dimitri.

"I believe that his mother became ill and your father gave him one month paid leave for him to go home and care for her and Pavel said that they anticipated him returning soon. But if Sokolov needed more time, Pavel was going to grant it and then we would just assign a temporary guardian until he returns."

"Wow" I said in shock, guardians were never treated this well. Usually your charge was your 'family' in the loosest sense of the word and be damned with anyone in your family. They come first was the motto drilled in our head since kindergarten.

"I know, as far as I can tell, your father and Pavel are probably the best employers in the Moroi/Dhampir world" Dimitri said.

"Hmm" I said more to myself, bit Dimitri heard me.

"Hmm, what?"

"I'm not sure, but I see some potential for us in my father's organization with helping the guardians and things. I don't know, it's just jumbled ideas in my head right now" I blabbed on not making much sense.

"No, I think I see where you are going with this and we can brainstorm about this when things settle down more".

"Okay, so I've been able to reconnect with my mom a little, but Baba has been busy, so I haven't really had a chance to connect with him as much as I would like" I said trying to keep the sadness out of my voice.

"Give him some time, if I had to venture a guess, I think he is allowing your mother to have alone time with you first. You already have a rapport with her, plus I think he is spending time trying to keep track of the threats and researching your bond." Dimitri pointed out.

"That makes sense"

"Maybe once things calm down a little, you could ask him to have dinner with you sometime. We could do a family dinner or you can have dinner with just your parents or with one parent at a time. Whatever you are the most comfortable with. I think they will be agreeable to anything. Just give them and yourself some time, there is no reason to rush it. Plus, they are feeling guilty for leaving you at the academy and they might be fearful that you resent them" Dimitri suggested.

"I'd love it for you to come with me, at least the first few times if that is okay? You are such a big portion of my life that I would like them to get to know you as well" I asked carefully.

"Of course, Roza, if you want me to be there, I'll be there. Just let me know what you want me to do, okay?"

I nodded my head at him. "I love your family though, and you are right, Vika and I get along really well. It's a shame that we didn't go to the same school, the pranks we could of have done" I said as a Dimitri first began smiling at the first part of my sentiment, but then I watched him groan and shake his head as he heard the remaining part. In all seriousness, I knew it was important to him that his family and I got along. And I generally loved them all, even though we had just met, Dimitri has been telling me stories about them during our sessions, so I felt like I had already known them.

"How are Vika and Matt getting along?" I asked Dimitri because I couldn't see out, but he could.

"I can't really see Vika with the high backings, but Matt seems to be enjoying her company."

"Good, and I'm glad you're okay with it."

"Well, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't. But like I said in your father's office when he was threatening me about hurting you, is exactually what I did to him" Dimitri had a big smile on his face and seemed extremely happy with himself.

I laughed and rolled my eyes at him.

"How are you doing being away from Lissa" Dimitri asked bringing a little heaviness to our conversation.

"I miss Lissa and Eddie, maybe Christian a little, but I'll kick your ass if you ever repeat that to him or anyone on else" I said trying to give him my fiercest voice.

Dimitri laughed and put his hands up surrendering "He won't hear it from me".

"It's hard being away from her. Even though I wasn't officially her guardian or protecting her from Strigoi on campus, I was still very protective over her".

"Well hopefully we will be able to make it back for your trials, getting your promise mark, graduation and the senior dance."

"I hope so too, it would suck to go through all this but not get to participate in graduation with Lissa, Christian and Eddie".

"Are you still hoping to guard Lissa?" Dimitri asked cautiously.

"In theory, yes, but with everything going on, I'm afraid that I will put her in more danger than she already is by being the last of the Dragomirs and being a Spirit user. Look at how far Adrian is willing to go to get to me and he is supposed to her friend. But I am not sure what else to do, I have been training my whole life for this." I replied.

"I understand, when Ivan died, I thought long and hard what I was going to do. Did I still want to be a guardian? I wasn't sure I could handle losing another charge especially since the norm is for guardians to die way before their Moroi counterpart. Then I received a phone call and was sent to States to find two crazy girls. Just concentrate on getting through the next couple of months and we will figure it out together." Dimitri said and then he gave me the sweetest kiss.

Our food arrived and it smelled so good, I couldn't help myself from moaning when I took the first bite of the borscht. "Roza, you can't moan like that when we are in public. I have half a mind to take you here right on this table" Dimitri said with lust in his eyes.

"Down boy" I joked with him.

We finished eating when the server asked if we wanted dessert. We ordered a chocolate lava cake to split between us.

"Dimitri, this is heaven" I said with my eyes closed.

"Yes, it is."

When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me and he had yet to take a bite of his food. "Comrade, if you play your cards right, you might just get lucky tonight" I said as I gave him my best maneater smile.

We finished eating our dessert and then we went to the lounge so that the staff could clear the restaurant to make room for dancing.

Dimitri and I joined Matt and Vika in the lounge and Dimitri went to the bar to get us all a shot of vodka. We said cheers and then we downed the shot. Vika and I choked on the vodka as we felt it burn as it went down our throats.

Matt told us more about himself, how he went to St Basil's and his first charge was an old cranky royal moroi. He had heard about Abe Mazur and the Mazur guardians, which appealed to him more than working for Court.

Apparently, despite his mobster background my father paid his employees well and offered a better quality of life than what most guardians received working for Court.

Soon we heard music coming from the dining area and Dimitri grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. He put one arm on my lower back and held my other hand close to us. I felt so safe in his arms as he guided me around the dance floor. We just swayed to the music, occasionally Dimitri spun me out or dipped me.

I also danced with Matt and Yuri, but I was happy to go back into Dimitri's arms. As the evening wore on, the lights got dimmer and the music got slower. It was a little before 2 am when Dimitri asked "Are you ready to go home Milaya?"

His accent was getting thicker and when I looked up at my Russian God and saw the lust in his eyes. I replied "Yes, Comrade take me home".

The ride home was short, thank god. Dimitri was whispering in my ear all the things that he wanted to do to me, both good and naughty. I was just about to jump him when we turned onto the driveway of the Mazur compound. Dimitri helped me out of the SUV and I saw Matt walking Vika to the house. The rest of the guardians went up to the second floor as Dimitri and I continued to the third floor.

Dimitri stopped in the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water for us, he said "Here drink this, if you keep hydrated it will lessen the chance of a hangover. I took a big sip and then Dimitri swept me up off my feet.

We walked into our bedroom and I gasped "Comrade, when did you do this?"

"Guardian secrets" was his only response.

The room had candles lit all over the place, there was a fire in the fireplace and there was a trail of rose petals leading to the bed.

"Comrade, take me to bed and make love to me"

"Your wish is my command" Dimitri responded with a thick accent. I swear that accent goes straight to my core.

He placed me in the middle of our bed and he unzipped my boots and pulled them off. He took off his own shoes and socks off, followed by his suit jacket and shirt. He took out his stakes and placed them on the bedside table. He unbuttoned his pants, crawled on to the bed and hovered over me.

"Milaya, you are so beautiful and I have been dying to make love to you since you walked out of the bedroom in this dress". Dimitri kissed my hard and passionately, one hand fisted in my hair and the other arm was helping him hover over me. When we broke apart to breath, he started kissing me down my neck, finding my sweet spot, he started to make moan.

"I hope you know I don't make it a habit of sleeping with someone on the first date" I joked.

"Neither do I"

I could feel Dimitri smile while his lips were on my neck. His hands reached out to my thighs moving them up my body and taking my dress with him. He pulled my dress over my head and I heard him groan as he took in my underwear choice.

"I'm glad that I didn't know this was under your dress, otherwise I would have taken you on that table in the middle of the restaurant."

He started kissing me down my neck to my collar bone then to the valley between my breasts. He kissed my chest over to my right breast and mouthed it through the lacy bra I had on. He then kissed his way over to my right breast and mouthed it over the lace. I arched my back towards him so he wouldn't break contact and continue kissing and sucking on my breast. When I arched my back, he snaked his hand behind me and released my bra. He brought my straps down off my shoulder and threw my bra to the floor.

His mouth went right back to my breast teasing it with his tongue and then he sucked my nipple into his mouth. I moaned as he did this as it was sending a shock to my core and I could tell I was already soaking through my thong.

My arms went from around his neck, down his chest and past his abs. I could feel his muscles ripple under my fingertips.

When I got to his waist band, I unzipped his pants and I put my hand in and grabbed his cock. I could feel how turned on he was and he confirmed it when he groaned as I put pressure on his thick cock and rubbed him up and down.

"Dimitri, I want your pants off. NOW!" I half whined and half moaned. He stood up and pulled of his pants but left his boxer briefs on. He paused to look at my naked body except for my lacey thong which left nothing to the imagination of what was under it. He unconsciously licked his lips as he looked me over.

"Please, Dimitri" I pleaded to Dimitri which broke him out of his trance of looking at my body. He crawled back onto the bed and he slowly started kissing up my right leg from my ankle, up my calf, to my knee and finally to my inner thigh.

He got to the apex of my thighs and his nose skimmed my pussy as he inhaled deeply. "Roza, you smell so good". I moaned at what he said and then he started mouthing my pussy through my thong which was saturated.

"Dimitri, I need you" I whined again.

Dimitri pulled his mouth from my pussy and he hooked his thumbs into my thong and pulled it down my legs, tossing it somewhere behind him. He went to my left ankle where he slowly started kissing me again. Wherever Dimitri kissed left behind a trail of fire, I am not sure how I didn't spontaneously combust from his kisses. He reached the apex of my thighs and his tongue came out as he gently licked my pussy. My hips bucked off the bed, so Dimitri put an arm across my hips to hold me in place.

He was licking me slow and determined strokes and it was driving me insane. He spread my legs apart more and his tongue went into my core. "Dimitri" I moaned loudly.

He went back to my clit licking me faster and with more force as he slid one finger in me. I knew I was not going to last much longer and when my breathing change, Dimitri knew that as well. He added a second finger as he continued his fast pace of licking me. Dimitri started to curl his fingers in a come-hither motion.

"Oh my God Dimitri, don't stop, I'm about to …. I'm gonna…..Dimitri" I screamed as an orgasm took over my body and Dimitri continued licking and fingering me to help me ride out my orgasm. When I came down from my high, Dimitri looked up at me with lust in his eyes and said "I love it when you scream my name".

Dimitri slowly kissed up my abs, then to the valley between my breast and as he did this, I hooked my big toes into the waistband of his boxer briefs and pushed them down his legs. When I could no longer push them any farther down, he kicked them off. "Kiss me Comrade" I demanded as my hands fisted in hair trying to get his lips to me.

He kissed me passionately and I could taste myself on him and it only added to my pleasure. Once we broke apart to breath, I pushed Dimitri down on his back and straddled him. My arms resting on his chest to balance myself.

Dimitri's hand gabbed his cock and he placed it at the entrance to my core. His hands went to my hips as he guided me down his cock. As I slid all the way down, I couldn't help but throw my head back in ecstasy. I started rocking my hips as his hands continued to help me grind on him.

Once I found a mind-blowing pace, his hands went to my breast, swiping my nipples with his thumbs. The action sent a shock straight to my pussy causing me to buck fast with him inside me and I let out a huge moan. Dimitri groaned at the feeling and he started thrusting himself up to meet me. He rolled my nipples between his thumbs and fore fingers, then ultimately he pinched their hard peaks before his hands went into my hair pulling me down to kiss him.

We broke apart when we could no longer kiss because we were panting. "I'm so close" I said. Dimitri licked his thumb and brought it to my clit rubbing it in a circular motion helping me to achieve my orgasm. Again, he started bucking his hips from below me.

"Dimitri" I screamed as a powerful orgasm travel from my core to the rest of my body. Dimitri bucked his hips up two more times before he yelled "Roza" then he stilled and released his seed into me. My orgasm seemed to go on for forever as my pussy was milking Dimitri's cock.

I collapsed on his chest as we both came down from our highs and he stroked my back lightly with his fingertips. I could hear his heart rate slowing down as we both slowed down our breathing.

After a minute or two, Dimitri said "Hold on one second" and he gently placed me on my side as he pulled out of me. I could feel our combined juices spreading down my inner thighs.

Dimitri got out of bed and walked into the bathroom, I heard the water running and shortly thereafter he walked back to the bed with a warm, wet washcloth in hand. He gently cleaned me up and then he cleaned himself off.

Dimitri climbed back into bed, laid on his back and he pulled me to him. He kissed the top of my head and said "Now this is how I would have liked your first time to be".

"I don't know, I enjoyed my first time at the hotel."

Before I knew it, my lids felt very heavy and I heard Dimitri say "I love you Roza".

"I love you too, Comrade. Tonight, was the best night of my life" I said as sleep overtook me. Despite the late hour that we came home from dinner and dancing, we both woke up two more times to make love.

I knew I was going to be exhausted going to church in the morning but it was well worth it.

**Thanks for all the reviews, I love reading them, you guys are the greatest. I hope you and your families are all doing well and that you are all staying safe. I am currently outside an epicenter and things are starting to get crazy. **

**Happy Easter or Happy Passover or Happy Spring!**


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Sunday Church

"Roza, wake up" Dimitri said sweetly.

"No" I said as I rolled on my side. I was pulled on to my back and I felt sweet kisses all over my face.

"It's time for us to get ready for church. Mama really wants us to go" Dimitri said.

"Okay, five more minutes" I sleepily said.

Dimitri laughed "Come on, your five minutes will turn into one hour".

I felt the bed move as I assumed Dimitri got out of bed to take a shower, but you know what they say when you assume. A few seconds later, I heard the shower turn on confirming my assumption. 'Victory' I thought.

Then I felt the covers pulled off me and warm arms pick me up bridal style carrying me towards the shower.

"Comrade" I whined. Dimitri put me down on my feet and took my hand leading me into the shower. I stood in the shower with my head on Dimitri's chest while he washed his hair.

"Roza, are your eyes open yet?"

"No" I responded.

"Oh Roza, how are you feeling? Your head doesn't hurt does it?" Dimitri chuckled.

"No, I actually feel okay, I didn't drink that much last night, I'm just tired."

We finished showering, Dimitri went to shave and I went to our walk-in closet to find something nice to wear. I picked out a black pair of pants, a lavender sweater and black ballet flats. I could smell Dimitri's aftershave as he walked into our closet and I took a deep breath in.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind and he placed a kiss on the side of my neck. He let me go all too soon for my liking and went to pick out clothes for himself. He picked out dark navy jeans and a pale blue button up shirt.

As he was putting on his shoes, he said "you look lovely".

"Thanks Comrade" and I bent down and kissed him on his lips. He stored his stakes in his pants and duster and I grabbed a coat in case it was cold. We walked out to the kitchen and we found Celeste, Yuri, Vika and Matt eating and drinking coffee.

"Hey everyone" I said as Dimitri went and made coffee for the both of us and I grabbed some eggs, bacon, fruit salad for Dimitri and myself and chocolate donuts for me. Dimitri brought two mugs of coffee to the table as he sat down next to me.

We talked causally about last night and everyone had fun, so we decided that we would go back there at some point. We went out and got into the cars with the Belikov family and some extra guardians.

We pulled up to the church that was made up of stone and had a few steeples on top of a dome structure painted blue and gold. It reminded me of the famous Cathedral in Moscow. Dimitri and I walked up the steps holding hands following his family inside. For a small town, it was a big church and it was packed full.

Dimitri said "In a small town where people don't have a lot of money, church becomes a social activity as well religious, so most of the town comes to Sunday Services.

Dimitri and I sat down near the back on the outside aisle as Dimitri family sat farther up. I knew Dimitri had picked that spot as it gave us two exits if needed. I looked around taking it all in as Dimitri put his arm around me and pulled me closer.

He whispered "The service will be conducted in Russian but I will guide you through the services".

As the service began and as Dimitri stated it was in Russian, it felt nice to just sit there with Dimitri and take a moment. My life had drastically changed in the last week. As promised, Dimitri explained to me what was happening and we both stayed seated when they had Communion because Dimitri did not want to advertise that we were here.

I was starting to feel like I was being watched. I looked at Dimitri and I could tell he was in full guardian mode probably feeling the same thing as I was. I looked around to the other guardians with us and they seemed on edge as well.

I whispered to Dimitri "What's wrong?"

"I don't know what it is, but I have a feeling that something is not right" Dimitri whispered back.

"I know I have this feeling that I am being watched" I told Dimitri as he pulled me closer as I watched him text message the other guardians.

Dimitri whispered to me "The service will be over in about 15 minutes and we will get up and go straight to the cars. Vika and Matt will take care of my family. Three of the guardians have left to get the cars and they will be right outside the front doors on the other side of the street. You are to be by my side at all times and follow my direction without question, okay".

"Dimitri, I'm not going" I started to say but Dimitri cut me off.

"No Rose, you are not going to help me. If I tell you something, you will follow it without fail and your job is to get to the car, okay?"

"Okay" I said.

"Celeste and Yuri will be the near guards with me" Dimitri said.

I nodded, then I took a deep breath to try to calm myself. I looked around again, I did not see anything out of the ordinary except for our guardians.

"Five minutes Roza" Dimitri said as he took the arm that was around me and held my hand. Dimitri started to rub his thumb in circles on the back of my hand.

I took one more look around and I caught someone looking at me, but they turned around so I could not see who they were. Dimitri must have sensed my alarm because he looked at me and followed my line of sight. But he could not see anything except the back of their head.

"Okay Roza, the priest and a few other people will pass us and then we are going to leave. Are you ready?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes" I responded.

I watched the Priest and other Church officials go past us down the aisle. Dimitri grabbed my hand and started leading me out of the pew. He stopped abruptly causing me to run right into his muscular back.

Before I could ask why he stopped, I saw her and she was looking between Dimitri and me and where our hands were joined: Tasha.

Dimitri stepped in front of me to protect me from Tasha in case she tried to throw fireballs at me.

"Hi Dimka" Tasha said in a sickly-sweet voice that made me want to gag.

I felt someone behind me and I turned around prepared to fight them, but it was Celeste and Yuri. I turned back towards Dimitri and I watched him nod slightly at Matt. Matt and Vika quickly gathered Dimitri's family and led them out a door on the side of the church.

"What do you want Tasha?" Dimitri demanded. I do not think I have ever heard Dimitri sound so menacing, but unfortunately it did not seem to phase her.

"Dimka, I was wondering if you were free to get drinks or dinner tonight since we are both in Baia" Tasha asked.

Dimitri sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "Tasha, I am sorry, but I am not in love with you and I will never be in love with you. And after the way you treated Rose, Vasilissa, and Christian, I do not want to be friends with you. Please respect my wishes and stay away from Rose and me."

"Oh Dimka, you are so funny" Tasha says as she cackles and all I can do is roll my eyes at her.

"Tasha, please move out of our way and leave us alone" Dimitri all but growled. I could tell Dimitri was getting annoyed because I had invoked that behavior from him early on in our training. It was then that I noticed that Guardian Andrew was behind Tasha.

Dimitri stepped out into the aisle blocking Tasha's path and ushering me out of the pew and out of the church to the cars waiting for us. Dimitri was quiet on the way home and it was starting to worry me. Apparently in the confusion of getting Dimitri's family out of the church as well as getting me out, Tasha and Guardian Andrew were able to escape.

Once we reached the compound, Dimitri and I went to the house where the Belikov women were staying. As soon as we walked through the doors, the aroma coming from the kitchen caused my stomach to growl.

I was happy to note that Matt was invited to Sunday dinner as well. He was helping Vika set the table. I looked around and saw my parents and Pavel and Baba indicated he wanted to speak with us on the porch outside.

"What happened?" Baba asked once we had all sat down in the chairs on the patio.

Dimitri took a deep breath and started "Tasha and Guardian Andrew were at church and came up to Roza and me. Matt and Vika got my family out and Celeste and Yuri were protecting Rose."

Dimitri stopped speaking and I could tell Baba and Pavel wanted more information, so I continued where Dimitri left off. "Tasha is off her rocker, she asked Dimitri to go out for drinks or dinner and when he told her no and to leave us alone, she just acted like it was a joke. But she did manage to get away as everyone was leaving church."

"That's alright" Baba said "At least we know that she is here in Russia."

"We will have some guardians search the area for her" Pavel stated. "Rose, as far as what you are seeing the flashing off the property, we can't seem to find out who or what it is. Nothing has been caught by the guardians, nothing shows up on surveillance or any heat signature detected. Since you have seen it during the day, I doubt it was a strigoi. But keep letting us know if you see it again."

"Okay, thanks Pavel" I said.

Sonya came out to let us know that dinner was ready and we all followed her inside. The food was amazing as usual but Dimitri was exceptionally quiet. Once we finished eating, I started to help with the dishes, but Olena took them from me and whispered in my ear "Take him for a walk, when he has a problem on his mind, he won't talk about it if anyone else is around."

"Thanks, Olena" I whispered back. I took Dimitri's hand and lead him out of the house. I figured that the best place was to take a walk around the perimeter. We walked in silence for two laps and I was getting worried that he was not speaking to me, but I took comfort that he was still holding my hand. He was rubbing his thumb on the back of my hand and eventually he would bring my hand up and kiss it.

Every bone in my body wanted to ask him what was wrong and try to get him to talk, but I knew he would eventually talk when he was ready. As we started our third lap, Dimitri said "I'm sorry" so quietly that I almost did not hear him.

"Dimitri, there is nothing to be sorry for, you have been truly clear that you are not interested in her. She just delusional."

"I know, but my biggest fear is that she is going to hurt you in an attempt to get me to be with her" Dimitri said looking off in the distance.

I stopped walking and pulled Dimitri to me and said "Dimitri look at me. I understand what you are going thru, I worry she will do something to take you away from me."

"Roza, there is nothing she can do to take me away from you" Dimitri said as he pulled me into his chest and placed a sweet kiss on my lips.

I froze for a second and started looking around. Dimitri asked suddenly alert "What's wrong Roza?"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"It almost sounded like a laugh."

"Do you think it was Tasha" Dimitri asked surveilling the area.

"No, it was a male voice" I said as I looked around and I realized we were in the same spot that we were in when I saw something in the woods. I looked and again I could see something in the woods, but this time it was brighter and bigger.

"Dimitri, it's back again. There is something in the woods."

Dimitri looked "I don't see anything" then he called the surveillance room and they stated they could not see anything. A bunch of guardians showed up, half were on our side of the fence and the other half were outside the past the wards.

"Stop" I said "It's right next to you" I said to one of guardians outside the ward. Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy.

"Dimitri, can we go out there so I can get closer?" I asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea".

"Dimitri, there are at least ten guardians here, it's daylight and there is nothing showing up on the cameras. Just let me have a quick look."

I could see Dimitri weighing the pros and cons of letting me go out passed the wards. "Alright, but you stay next to me and if I say go, we leave".

"Okay"

We walked about 100 yards to where there was a door in the fence. As soon as Dimitri and I walked past the wards I stopped and said "Holy shit".

"What is it?" Dimitri asked as he pulled out his stake.

"It's a person, actually a ghost I think."

"Hi, can you see and hear me?" I asked as Dimitri and the rest of the guardians look around for any threat.

"Yes, I can hear and see you Roza. Tell Dimka to relax there are no threats in the immediate area. I'll let you know if something happens."

"Dimka? You know Dimitri?" I asked.

"I know Dimka very well and I am glad he finally listened to his heart and fell in love with you."

"Wait, are you Ivan?" I asked cautiously. I could see Dimitri stiffen next to me and he asked "Roza, what does he look like?"

"Well, a bit like Jesse, tall, thin, blond hair" I said.

Dimitri scrubbed his face and he took a deep breath and said "Ask him what happened when we were fifteen and we took an excursion."

I looked at Ivan and he smiled and said "I convinced Dimka to skip classes and we were going to meet some girls by this lake near St Basil's. While we were walking along the cliffs, I slipped and Dimitri caught me just in time and saved my life."

I turned to Dimitri and said "You were hiking and he slipped and you caught him."

"Oh my God" Dimitri said. "Tell him I am so sorry I let him down".

"Dimka, you never let me down, it was just an accident when I was attacked by a strigoi. It was your day off; you couldn't have spent 24/7 with me".

"Comrade, he says it wasn't your fault that you could not have spent 24/7 with you" I relayed.

We talked for a while and Ivan told me hilarious stories from when they were growing up. He then said "I'm glad he found you Rose; I was getting worried about him."

I then asked him the question I had been wanting to know since I realized he was a ghost. "Have you ever met someone named Mason Ashford?"

"Yes, Mason has been around you, he is here, but he is still working on his abilities so that you can see him and hear him." Ivan said.

"Tell him I am sorry that I couldn't save him". I said as my mood plummeted and Dimitri pulled me to him and tucked me under his arm.

"I am sure Mason feels the same way as I do, he doesn't blame you. As much as I would love to continue this conversation, you need to go, it's starting to get dark and Mason said Tasha is getting closer".

"Okay, thanks Ivan, Comrade we need to go back." I relayed.

"Bye Ivan" Dimitri said and we walked back towards the gate. Once we were back behind the wards and the fences, Dimitri pulled me into a hug.

"Thank you Rose, that helps me with some closure. Hopefully, we can talk with him again." Dimitri said.

"Your welcome Comrade, I am hoping Mason abilities will grow so that I can apologize to him" I said.

Dimitri pulled me closer and we started back to our suite. Once we were upstairs Dimitri said "We have two hour before we are meeting with all the guardians and I just want to hold you."

We both climbed on the bed. Dimitri was on his back and I rested my head on his chest. After the day we had both had, it was just nice to cuddle for a little bit.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 27: Sunday Night

It was Sunday night and the day's events of church and Ivan were taking its toll. But Dimitri still wanted to have a meeting since all the guardians had arrived. The plan was to have the meeting then dinner and relax for the rest of the night.

We were getting dressed for the meeting and Dimitri was wearing black jeans and a white button up shirt with his sleeves rolled up. "And how is this going to stop me from jumping you in front of everyone?" I asked.

"Well I would say you can jump me anywhere, but I don't think that will help me be seen as a good leader" Dimitri smirked.

"Probably not" I said as I put on black skinny jeans and a tight v neck shirt. Dimitri pulled my back to his front, pulled my hair to one side, kissed my neck and said "How am I supposed to concentrate when you look like this?"

"You'll manage" I said with my best maneater smile.

We walked out to the meeting holding hands and as we approached everyone began to quiet down. Dimitri squeezed my hand and sat me down on a chair in front of all the guardians. Thankfully, his chair was right next to mine. Once everyone was seated, Dimitri started the meeting.

"Welcome everyone, my name is Dimitri Belikov, I will be leading this group and I will also be Rose's primary guardian. I trained at St Basil's, I am a blood master 7 and I guarded Ivan Zeklos until his death. Then I was sent to America by the Queen to find Princess Vasalisa Dragomir and Novice Rose Hathaway" Dimitri said as he pointed to me.

"After I brought them back to St Vladamir's, I became Princess Dragomir's primary guardian and was a mentor to Novice Hathaway. For those of you who have worked for Mr. Mazur, you are aware of the assignment. Those of you who have come from other assignments, the job is to protect Novice Hathaway" Dimitri paused for a moment as he gestured to me again. Dimitri passed out folders to the guardians and said "In this packet, you will find the information needed in regard to those who are hunting Novice Hathaway".

"Novice Hathaway is Mr. Mazur's only daughter and due to his line of work, Novice Hathaway has had threats made against her life by Morois and humans. She had been successfully hidden at St Vladimir's until recently, when she killed an ancient strigoi named Isaiah. Now Isaiah's followers are hunting her".

"Since leaving St Vladimir's academy, she is being threatened by Lord Adrian Ivashkov, the Queen's great nephew. He is currently being protected by Royal Guardians at Court and he is also threatening Princess Vasalisa Dragomir and Lord Christian Ozera who are being protected by guardians from St Vladimir'. However due to recent events Mr. Mazur has reinforced their protection with his own private Guardians at court."

"Novice Hathaway is also being threatened by the Aunt of Lord Christian Ozera, Lady Tasha Ozera because of some delusional ideas and possible mental breakdown. She has broken out of jail despite her magic being diminished due to medication. She is currently here in Baia and is with Guardian Andrew from St Vladamir's. Lady Ozera has also threatened her nephew, Princess Dragomir, and myself."

"The protocol is that Novice Hathaway will always have a guardian with her while inside the compound, usually myself but also Guardian Mathews or Guardian Yuri. Our main goal, other than keeping her safe is to continue to train her so she can graduate and become a guardian as well as defend herself if need be. I will also be helping to train everyone here to improve your blast or blood master standing."

"Why don't we go around and introduce ourselves quickly and let us know a little bit about your background." Dimitri said as he sat down next to me and grabbed my hand. "Before we start, I just want to let you know that Novice Hathaway and I are in a relationship and Mr. Mazur and Guardian Hathaway are aware and approve of it."

Celeste started "I am Guardian Celeste Mathews. I studied at St Andrews and I have been working at St Vladamir's for two years as Princess Dragomir's second guardian with Guardian Belikov and I am a Blast Master Seven."

"I am Guardian Yuri, I graduated from St Damascus' and have worked at St Vladamir's for five years and I have the rank of Blood Master One."

"I am Guardian Matt Logan, I trained at St Peter's, I am 20 years old and have been a Mazur guardian for two years. My main job is to train this lady" Matt said pointing at Vika. "Novice Viktoria Belikov, but I will also help with protection detail and I am a Blood Master Two."

"Vika" Dimitri said as he nodded at Vika.

"My name is Novice Vika Belikov and I am Dimitri's younger sister and for safety reasons I am being trained here with Rose."

"I am Guardian O'Brien, I have been working for Mr. Mazur for the five years. I trained at St Basil's and I am a blood master three."

"I am Guardian Cooper, I have been a Mazur Guardian for one year. I am 22 years old, I graduated from St Dominic's and I am a Blast Master 5".

"I am Guardian Ellis, I am 26 years old and I trained at St Andrews. I have been a Mazur Guardian for six years and I am a Blood Master One".

"I am Guardian Mila Volkov, I am 23 years old and I trained at St Basil's. I was a year behind Dimitri but in a different house. I am a Blast Master Four and I used to work for Zeklos family."

"I am Guardian Mikhail Andreev, I am 26 years old and I graduated from St. Basil's. I was in the same house as Dimitri and I used to kick his butt, however I am afraid he could kick mine now."

Dimitri laughed at him and said "We will find out tomorrow." The group broke out in laughter.

Guardian Andreev continued "I am a Blood Master Four and a Mazur Guardian for five years."

"I am Guardian Sokolov, I am 27 years old and I trained at St. Gabriel. I am a Blood Master Two and I have been a Mazur Guardian for four years.

"I am Guardian Ludwig, I am 23 years old and I graduated from St Peter's. I am a Blast Master Three and have worked as a Court Guardian. And I am so thankful for this opportunity, because Court is going to hell in a handbasket."

Dimitri questioned "If you have specific information about Court that could help us protect Rose, I think it would be prudent for you to speak with Mr. Mazur's head Guardian Pavel."

"I do" Guardian Ludwig said. Dimitri nodded at him then looked at the next guardian to introduce himself.

"I am Guardian Zimmerman, I am 22 years old, I graduated from St Ignatius. I am a Blood Master One and I previously worked for the Badicas" he said as there was an audible gasp. "I unfortunately was visiting my family in Italy when the attack happened."

As Guardian Zimmerman sat down and I looked at Dimitri through the corner of my eye, I knew that Dimitri was going to take time to speak with Zimmerman about his own experience.

"I am Guardian Walker, I am 23 years old and Blood Master 3. I trained at St Dominic's and I have been a Mazur Guardian for 2 years.

Once the introductions were finished Dimitri stated "Thank you for introducing yourselves, I think we have picked a good group of guardians. While we are a young team so that we can blend in with Rose, I feel we have a lot of talent here. O'Brien, Cooper, Ellis and Volkov will be primary guardians when we leave the compound. Andreev, Sokolov, Ludwig and Zimmerman will be alternate guardians to fill in as one of the primary guardians or as extra security should Novice Hathaway need it."

"However, with that being said, the threats to Novice Hathaway are evolving daily, so I ask that you be flexible with the assignments. I believe everyone has been assigned a room downstairs and has already been set up with bio-identification to get into housing, the gym and other areas?" asked Dimitri.

A chorus of yeses followed.

"I will post downstairs in hallway for now, two guardians from the alternate group will be monitoring the doorways overnight. Any changes to the schedule need to go thru Mr. Mazur, Pavel or myself. "

"Tomorrow, I will be testing the remaining guardians to determine your skill level. Mr. Mazur and Pavel have requested that we work on improving every one's rank."

"Any questions so far?" Dimitri asked. Everyone shook their heads no."

"To reiterate, Vika will be training with Guardian Logan and Rose will be training with me but I will still like them to spar with everyone to gain as much experience as possible. And in full disclosure, Mr. Mazur has made it clear that Guardians are allowed to date each other as long as it doesn't interfere with guarding. So, for the record, Rose and I are together as well as Yuri and Celeste" Dimitri said pointing at the appropriate people.

Dimitri took some time before he started on the next piece of information that we agreed to let the guardians know. "Rose and I have debated about sharing this next piece of information with you, but ultimately we believe it is important to Rose's security that her guardians aware of this information. That being said, we expect this information not to be gossiped about and kept confidential. Rose is shadow kissed, which means that she died and a spirit user brought her back to life. When Spirit users use their magic, darkness builds with in them. Rose can take the darkness from the spirit user and she can see what is happening thru the spirit users if emotions are high. We are still trying to figure things out as we go along."

"We have found out that unbounded spirit users have an obsession with the bonded dhampir. I say this because Adrian Ivashkov is a spirit user and has started to be obsessed with Rose as we have explained."

"I know this is a lot of information for the first night, we will continue to update everyone as we find out new information. Any questions so far?" Dimitri asked. No one said anything, I wondered if they were getting overwhelmed as it was a lot of information to process.

"No?" Dimitri said "Okay, if you think of any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Like I said, tomorrow we will test the remainder of the guardians. After that, the schedule will be as follows: 7am-12pm training, 12:00pm-1:00pm lunch. Vika and Rose will do class work from 1:00pm to 3pm and then back to training from 3pm to 6pm. I will be rotating guardians for afternoon training with the Novices."

Once Dimitri was done, we all went to the kitchen area where there was a massive amount of food set up buffet style. Dimitri and I sat at the dining room table with some of the guardians. Others sat at the kitchen counter and the rest were in the living area.

Dimitri seemed to be in his element. I have never seen him interact with other guardians other than Celeste and Yuri in a social setting. I was used to the stoic Guardian Belikov who guarded classes and Lissa. Obviously, he was different with me in our training sessions, but he just seemed so alive right now.

He was talking to the other guardians around the table as we ate and he had draped his arm around the back of my chair. He occasionally kissed my temple or my hair and he would also rub my back or take my hand and bring it to his lips.

I was loving this friendly, animated version of Dimitri. Vika was sitting next to me and she kept giving me side glances. I asked her in a low voice so Dimitri or Matt could not hear "Vika, you okay?".

"Um, yeah, but can we talk tomorrow?" She asked in an equally low voice.

"Of course, do you need to talk sooner? We can slip out right now" I responded.

"No, tomorrow will be fine maybe during our morning jog?" Vika asked.

"Absolutely, so is your brother always like this when he is at home?" I asked Vika, figuring she would be my best source of information.

"Yes, well at least before Ivan died" Vika said.

"Did you ever meet Ivan?" I asked pondering whether I should let her know we saw his ghost today.

"Yes, Dimka and Ivan were quite close and Ivan would occasionally come home with Dimka because his family was always jet setting around the world, much like he did after the graduated. We could see Dimka change after Ivan died, but then the old Dimka started coming back and I think it has a lot to do with you" Vika said with tears in her eyes, which caused me to tear up.

Vika and I both started laughing and crying at the same time. Matt looked over at us apprehensively and said "Belikov, do you know how to deal this situation?"

Dimitri looked over at us slightly alarmed and asked "Roza, Vika?"

"Hormones" Vika and I said simultaneously, then proceeded to crack up.

Dimitri shook his head and went back to the conversation he was having with Guardian Volkov. After dessert was brought out, I saw Baba and Pavel approached. The Mazur Guardians started to stand but Baba gestured to them to stay seated.

"Rose, Dimitri may we speak to you privately?" Baba asked.

Dimitri and I stood up and followed Baba and Pavel down the hall to our bedroom. Once there Baba started "So it's Sunday night and I know that Rose, you promised to call Adrian. Pavel and I would like to be present when you call him. We want to gauge his emotional well-being and we anticipate that he is going to make a comment about us moving Christian and Lissa out of the palace and into our house at Court. Pavel and I feel that if it comes up, you should tell him that it was for their safety since Tasha had threatened both of them and she is on the loose."

"Okay" I agreed.

"Belikov, I am assuming that you want to be present as well" Pavel asked.

"Of course," Dimitri responded.

"Alright, let's use your office for privacy" Baba suggested.

We walked into the office and the first thing I realized is there were only three chairs. Baba and Pavel went to the two comfy chairs where Dimitri usually sat. Dimitri sat down at the desk chair and pulled me to sit down on his lap.

This was not the Dimitri that I met at St Vladamir's, he would never do this in front of superiors but I was enjoying his free spirit and I was even more shocked when there was no reaction from Baba or Pavel.

Baba started "Okay, I want you to put the phone on speaker and that way we can help you answer the questions that I am sure Adrian is going to bring up. Plus, we feel he is going to request that you come to Court and when that does not work, he will threaten you and then beg you. He will attempt to use Lissa and Dimitri against you as well as your Mother and I".

"We will help you if you are unsure what to say" Pavel started and Dimitri pulled pens and paper out of the desk and handed then out, so they could write notes if necessary. "Just do your best to not let him use your past against you."

"Okay" I said and Dimitri squeezed my hand, lending me his strength.

I put my phone on the desk, placed it on speaker and called Adrian. It rang twice and then I heard Adrian's voice "Little dhampir, I didn't think you were going to call me".

Pavel wrote "Be positive"

"Of course, I was going to call Adrian. I promised I would." I said.

Baba wrote "Don't ask questions and keep your answers simple. We don't want to give him too much information." I nodded at Baba.

"So little dhampir, where are you in this big wide world?"

Pavel wrote "Parent's house. He can't trace call".

"I'm with my parents" I said.

"Ah, that's right, the parents who abandoned you for almost fourteen years, wanting nothing to do with you."

Dimitri was rubbing my back giving me support.

"And I am sure that Belikov is there with you as well. Do you know how many women he has slept with on campus? The rumors that I heard is that he has slept with every female guardian at St Vladimir's plus some of the senior and junior novices. If you want to save your reputation and be able to guard Lissa, you should really get away from your mobster father, your absentee mother and that Russian devil. I heard he already has plans to meet up with Tasha." Adrian spat at me.

Pavel wrote "Tell him to be nice or you'll end the call".

"Adrian, I was calling to talk with you, not listen to you hate on the people in my life." I said as Dimitri pulled my back closer to his front and Baba gave me a thumbs up.

"I'm sorry Rose, it's just that I am lonely at Court. You left me, now Christian and Lissa are gone, supposedly they are at your father's house at court with a bunch of guardians. Please come to Court, I can protect you better than anyone can. I can get to you in 12 hours with the Royal Jet and Royal Guardians to protect you. You will be safer than Lissa and aren't you missing Lissa, I know she is missing you." Adrian suggested.

I rolled my eyes at that and saw Baba silently chuckle. Pavel scribbled "Let him know that you will be back to St Vladimir's to do your trials and graduate."

"Adrian, I'll see you all soon. I will be back for trials and graduation and I'll get to see everyone." I said.

"Rose, if you don't tell me where you are right now, I will make sure that you never guard Lissa or Christian ever. I'll make sure that you have the lowest guardian job possible." Adrian yelled at me.

"If that is what you feel is best Adrian. I thought we were better friends than that." I said as calmly as I could. Pavel nodded at me to let me know he approved of my response.

"I'm sorry Rose, please just tell me where you are so I can come get you. Please, you aren't safe out there. If you tell me where you are, I can get my aunt to agree to have your mother come with us. Maybe even have Belikov with you".

"Little dhampir" Adrian said in a sweet voice "You are going to tell me where you are, and I am going to come and get you and we are going to live in the palace together".

Does he think he can actually compel me through the phone just by talking to me with no video? I felt Dimitri stiffen behind me and tighten his hold on me. I looked up to Baba and Pavel and for the first time I could see some nervousness on their faces.

I took the paper and pen that Dimitri had and wrote "Lissa?"

Pavel wrote back "Safe!".

Baba wrote "Tell him you will call him next Sunday".

"Adrian, I need to go and do my schoolwork but I will call you next Sunday." I said.

Adrian cut me off from finishing and yelled "Rose, I swear if you don't tell me what I want to know, I will make you my blood whore and when I am done with you, I will find the filthiest Royal Moroi and make you their blood whore."

My eyes widened at that, Baba reached over and ended the call. Pavel abruptly got out of his chair knocking it over and leaving the room and Dimitri had an iron clad hold on me. I could hear Dimitri take deep breaths to calm himself and then he whispered in my ear and said "Breath Roza, you are safe".

I let out the breath that I had not realized I was holding and then I screamed "Lissa".

"Don't worry kiz, Lissa and Christian are already on the plane to Turkey, they took off 30 minutes ago with all the guardians. Pavel and I had anticipated that the call to Adrian wasn't going to go well".

"Pavel, is he okay?" I asked looking at his overturned chair.

"He will be, but that is his story to tell you." Baba said. After a pause, Baba continued "I have a feeling that my house at Court will be destroyed, but thankfully I have been having the guardians there packing up any important stuff. I am sorry to say, but we will no longer be welcome at Court."

"Well, no love lost between Queen Bitch and me." I said.

To which Baba let out the biggest laugh I had ever heard, he even had to hold onto the desk as he doubled over. "Kiz, I think you got the best of both your mother's and my traits." Baba said as he came over to give me a kiss on the cheek and said "I'll let you know when the Princess arrives in Turkey" as he walked out the door.

I turned to Dimitri who still had me in an iron grip on his lap. "Comrade, eventually I will need to breath or move." I said.

"Sorry, milaya" Dimitri said as he let go of me.

"I didn't say you had to let me go completely" I said as I put my arms around his neck. He put his arms loosely around my waist and put his forehead on mine. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

"I will be" he sighed.

"What can I do for you?" I asked.

"Nothing just be your awesome self" Dimitri smirked.

"Comrade" I said shaking my head. "Do you want to go back out there?"

"Yes, let's go and enjoy the rest of the evening" Dimitri said and I got off his lap and we walked back to the living area. But it was evident that he was not all right because he didn't allow me to be farther than an arm's length away from him.

One by one the guardians went to their rooms and as Dimitri and I were getting ready to call it a night, Dimitri pulled Matt aside and said "Do me a favor and walk Vika back".

"I was already planning on it. Did something happen?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, Adrian threatened Rose. We know he's at Court but he threatened to make her his personal blood whore and then he said when he was done, he would basically prostitute her out."

I watched Matt visibly pale at that statement and he said "Consider it done. Should we move Vika over here?"

"Not right now, I have a feeling we will be leaving in the next week or two to go to Turkey. The Princess is already on her way there with Christian and the Mazur Guardians. I will speak with Pavel tomorrow and get the layout of the residence in Turkey and work on assigning rooms." Dimitri stated.

Vika came over and said "Hey what's up?"

"Nothing, Roza and I were just going to bed and Matt is going to walk you back." Dimitri said a little too harshly.

"Dimka, I'm fine, I can walk back alone".

"Don't fight me on this Vika" Dimitri barked.

I put my hand on Dimitri's chest to calm him and said "Comrade, you can't bark orders at her without at least explaining why."

Dimitri sighed and pulled Vika in for a hug and said "Sorry Vika, Adrian just threatened Rose and he is unstable. I am worried about the both of you."

"Dimka it's okay, I'll go with Matt" Vika said as she gave her brother a quick squeeze and then turned to me and gave me a hug and whispered in my ear and said "Good luck with him".

At this point there were only a handful of guardians left including the two guardians who were going to watch the entrances. Dimitri gave them his orders and then we retired to our room. Matt texted Dimitri to let him know that Vika was safely delivered back to the house and that Pavel had assigned a guardian to stay with them and that he was also going to sleep on the couch as well. We got ready for bed and I could tell Dimitri was on edge, but he was resistant to all my attempts at being intimate with him, so I just curled up next to him and fell asleep quickly.

I woke up sometime in the middle of the night and I reached out for Dimitri but his side of the bed was empty and cold, which means he had been out of bed for a while. I sat up in bed and noticed that the office light was on. I got out of bed and walked into the office to find Dimitri sitting in one of the chairs reading one of his western novels.

"Hey" I said as I leaned against the door frame.

"Hey" Dimitri said as he opened his arms to me. I walked over and sat on his lap and put my arms around his neck. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, but I was lonely in that big bed all by myself" I mock pouted.

"Well, we can't have that" Dimitri said as he stood up and threw me over his shoulder and walked back towards the bed. He threw me down and I bounced on the bed and I tried to launch a tickle fight with him but of course I lost.

When we were both completely out of breath and had called a truce, I asked "Feeling better?"

"Yes, thanks Roza" Dimitri said as we climbed into bed and snuggled. In a matter of minutes, I heard Dimitri's breath even out and I fell asleep quickly after that.

**Thank you for all the reviews, you guys are awesome. I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, so I may revisit it and make some slight changes but the narrative will stay the same.**

**I hope everyone is safe out there.**

Monday Morning


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Normalcy

I wake up to kisses on my neck and a hand caressing my hip. I push my butt back into Dimitri which causes him to groan and I feel how excited he is. I moan as his hand comes up and cups my breast and his kisses start to become firmer. I turn onto my back and Dimitri immediately attacks my lips.

He puts a leg between mine as he moves his body to hover over me. When we break apart to breath, he starts kissing my neck. Dimitri says "I'm sorry about last night."

"What do you mean?" I asked as I pulled back to look him in the face.

"I know you were trying to be intimate with me, but I couldn't respond. I was just so angry with what Adrian had done and with how my father was with my mother. I just could not be intimate with you while I was so angry. I'm sorry."

"Dimitri, it's okay, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. When something like this happens just let me know what I can do to help you." I pleaded.

"Just be you" Dimitri responded as he started passionately kissing me.

Dimitri pushed up my tank top so it exposed my breasts to him. He wasted no time sucking on one of my breasts. I helped him take of my tank top. Dimitri was already bare chested which was what I love to see.

We broke apart and Dimitri started kissing my neck and his hand that had been massaging my breast started a path down to my core. He reached into my shorts and started to rub my clit over my panties and shortly after, he moved my panties aside and separated my lips.

"So wet for me Roza" Dimitri whispered in my ear.

Dimitri pulled his hand away and then he grabbed the waistband of the shorts I was wearing and he pulled my panties with them. Once my panties and shorts were off, he threw them some wear in the room.

Dimitri got off the bed and stripped of his pajama pants and boxer briefs quickly and then he came back to my lips, kissing me passionately. I start rocking my core against his leg to give me a little relief from his actions.

He reached down to my core and decided that I was ready for him.

He brought his other leg in between mine and pushed them apart. He lined himself up with me and slowly pushed himself in. We both groaned at the feeling.

Dimitri set a steady pace but it did not take me long before I was screaming "Dimitri, harder, faster".

His mouth was right next to my ear and the grunts he was making was spurring me on. And before I knew it, I was yelling "Don't stop! Oh God! Dimitri!"

My orgasm hit and after two more thrust Dimitri was chanting "Roza" over and over again. Dimitri hit his orgasm and then he collapsed on me.

We were both trying to slow our breathing down and enjoying each other. Dimitri started to pull away to roll off of me and I held him and said "Not yet".

"I don't want to crush you" Dimitri said trying to take some of his weight off me.

"You won't, it makes me feel safer" I whispered towards the end.

Dimitri stayed where he was and said "You'll always be safe with me" and then he kissed my nose and said "come on let's take a shower."

Dimitri and I walked into the gym on Monday morning and everyone was already there stretching and warming up. We walked up to Vika and Matt and Dimitri said "So, I want the both of you to work with Matt today while I test the remaining guardians. I want the both of you to do a five-mile warm up, then weights and sparring".

Dimitri gave me a kiss on the top of my head and then he walked over to where all the other guardians were waiting. Vika and I stretched and then started our five-mile warm up. "So, you wanted to talk to me?" I asked Vika after Mark had walked away to set up equipment for us.

She looked around to make sure that no one was in earshot. I was getting nervous that there was a problem, so I asked "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. It is hard trying to find alone time with Matt. I am either with Dimka and you or my family is around, it is not like I want to have sex with him or anything, yet. But I want to kiss him so bad. Do you think it would be weird if I asked Dimka if I can move onto the second floor with the other guardians?"

"Well, I know he has been considering it, especially with what was going on with Adrian. That is why he had Matt walk you home last night. But it was Matt's idea to sleep on the couch last night" I said as I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

Vika blushed when I told her that. "I know Dimitri is anticipating that we may end up in Turkey, so he is planning sleeping arrangements and I think you will be with us for safety reasons." I said.

Vika smile got bigger if that was possible. "Are you thinking about having sex with Matt?" I asked cautiously.

"God, no, not yet. But I would like some alone time with him and maybe a kiss. I just feel like we are always surrounded by my family or Dimka." Vika said with a sigh.

"Leave it to me" I said.

Vika and I finished our warmup and our weights. We started sparring with each other and then we each sparred with Matt. It was beneficial to fight with Matt for me since I was not used to his fighting style. I was getting used to Dimitri's fighting to the point that I could anticipate his moves. I definitely got a good work out with Dimitri, but there was not as much strategy as when I fought with Matt.

After lunch, Celeste stayed with us while Pavel and Dimitri did weapons testing with the guardians. This is when Baba and Mom came by to visit. Vika and I had been working at the kitchen counter while Olena had been cleaning up from lunch.

"Hey Baba, Mom" I said.

"Hey kiz" Baba said while kissing the top of my head. "I just wanted to let you know that Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera arrived in Turkey about an hour ago. They are exhausted, which is understandable, but I invited Mark and Oksana over for dinner and we can skype with them. With everything happening with Adrian and Tasha, I want to make sure every precaution is being taken, including in the Spirit world."

"Thanks Baba, that sounds great" I said. "Any chance of a flight to Turkey to visit Lissa and Christian?" I asked.

Baba took a deep breath and looked at Mom and then turned back to me and said "Not right now, even though we would fly private, there is still a traceable record of who is flying where and I don't want to give Adrian any information as to where to find you. I am sure it is just a matter of time, but the longer it takes, the safer you are."

"Speaking of Tasha, have you heard anything about her or Guardian Andrew?" I asked Baba.

"No, we haven't heard anything and she hasn't contacted Lord Ozera, but they have family in Russia, so she could be staying with them. But do not worry, we will keep on searching."

I nodded and asked "What time should we be ready for dinner?"

Mom answered "About 7pm, that way you can get your afternoon workout in. Just so you are both aware, Pavel and I spoke with Dimitri and Matt and I will be sparing with both of you on Friday. I think it will be beneficial for both of you to fight an opponent smaller than you."

"Thanks Mom, that sounds like a good idea." I said.

Vika and I met Dimitri and Matt in the gym for our afternoon session. Matt took Vika to one side and Dimitri and I went to the other side and worked on some moves that we had started working on in St Vlad's. I told Dimitri that we were having dinner with Mark and Oksana tonight and that Lissa and Christian had arrived at the house in Turkey.

Dimitri and I arrived at 7pm in the same dining room on the second floor and Mark, Oksana, Baba and Mom were already there talking. We greeted everyone and then we sat down at the table and one of the guardians helping with the dinner poured wine for everyone including me.

Baba stood up and proposed a simple toast "To Happiness". We all repeated the toast. Over dinner Baba, Dimitri and I informed Mark and Oksana, that I was bonded with Lissa and what was happening with Adrian. They both seemed a little shell shocked with what we told them.

Once dinner was over, Pavel set it up so we could skype with Lissa and Christian.

"Hey Lissa, Christian, are you guys okay?" I asked.

"Rose, yes we are good, Mr. Mazur thank you for the protection, the plane and opening up your house for us." Lissa said. She was talking in what I liked to call her Princess voice and it was sad to realize that she would never be Queen.

Christian asked "What happened with the phone call with Adrian? We heard some rumors?"

I felt Dimitri stiffen next to me, so I explained to them what happened. Lissa cried "I am so sorry Rose. Are you safe there?"

"Yes, Liss, I am safe. And I am sorry to tell you both but we saw Tasha yesterday in Baia. She was with Guardian Andrew." I explained. Lissa was starting to lose it, so Baba took over the conversation.

"I wanted to meet with everyone because of the latest issues. We are concerned with Rose's ability to fight or protect herself if she is pulled into the Princess's head. And I also want to figure out how Rose can fly without having a terrible headache and seeing ghosts? Is it possible to ward the plane?"

Mark and Oksana looked at each other obviously having a conversation between them. Mark then spoke for both of them "I don't know if you can ward the plane, it is worth a try, we don't think it could harm her, maybe it will help her. As for getting pulled into the Princess's head, it is really for Princess Dragomir's to work on controlling her emotions."

"Okay, I can work on that" Lissa said. We talked for about another thirty minutes, but it was obvious that Lissa and Christian were exhausted from their trip and Dimitri and I were exhausted from this weekend.

We ended the skype session and then Dimitri and I said our goodbyes leaving my parents and Pavel with Mark and Oksana. As we walked back to our room, I started to bring up the conversation I had with Vika.

"Dimitri, I think that Vika is feeling a little out of place." I said.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"Well, she is training with us but then she has to go back to your family's house. I think she might feel that it separates her from everyone else. I am wondering if maybe she can move to the second floor, I think it will be helpful for both her and I."

"I see, I will speak with Mama about that." Dimitri said as we reached our room.

Once Tuesday came around, I was so happy to get back into a routine with Dimitri. It had seemed like forever since Dimitri and I had just been working alone with each other and I had missed it.

I was also pleased to note that Vika and Matt were getting to know each other better. Training was going well, the only activity Vika and I had not participated in was weapons training. Dimitri said we would start that in a week or two.

We all had dinner in the main kitchen with all the guardians. Dimitri had talked with his mama and they decided that Vika could move to the second floor. So, Matt and Vika went to pack Vika up and Dimitri started to get up and I put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Let them do it by themselves" I said quietly so none of the other guardians could hear.

"Let's take a walk around the property" I said to Dimitri as I could tell he was still a light keyed up to relax for the evening.

Dimitri sighed for the tenth time.

"What is it?" I finally asked as I gave up waiting for him to tell me.

"I don't know, maybe it's a bad idea to let her date." Dimitri said seriously.

I looked at him with a straight face and then I broke out in hysterical laughter.

"What" he said a little rougher, he was not understanding why I was laughing.

"You are being a hypocrite" I said looking directly in his eyes. He started to talk but I stopped him. "Vika is almost 18 years old and she is allowed to date whomever she wants and she can have sex with whomever she wants."

"But" Dimitri started.

"I am not done; your only role is to be supportive of her and be a shoulder to cry on if someone breaks her heart." I said.

"Yes ma'am!" Dimitri smirked.

After dinner, Dimitri was at the kitchen counter looking at the house plans in Turkey.

"Holy shit" I said as I looked over Dimitri's shoulder.

"Language Roza" Dimitri said.

"Is that Baba's House in Turkey?" It's huge" I asked astounded by the size.

"No, this is your house in Turkey" Dimitri said as my eyes were bugging out of my head. "My, my have we finally caused the great Rose Hathaway to be speechless?" Dimitri laughed as he physically closed my mouth which was on the floor.

Dimitri started to explain that the fifth floor was just for us with a Master Bedroom and a huge bathroom with an adjoining guardian bedroom. An office/study room was off the Master Bedroom. There was a kitchen that was smaller than the one we were currently using. It had seats at the kitchen counter similar to what we had now plus a dining room table. The living room was pretty much the same size that we had now with a flat screen tv and u-shaped couch.

The fourth floor had a large kitchen and a couple of dining room tables. The third floor had five different rooms for relaxing like seating areas and couches with a huge flat screen tv. The second floor consisted of 14 guardian bedrooms and each had their own bathrooms.

The first floor had laundry and storage and the basement had a movie theater that could easily fit 20 people.

"Oh my god, that is huge! Where are Lissa and Christian staying?" I asked.

"There is a two-bedroom house nearby for them with guardian bedrooms on the first floor." Dimitri stated.

Dimitri and I assigned rooms to the guardians including Vika having a room with them. Dimitri initially suggested that she take the guardian room on the fifth floor with us. I explained that Vika probably would not want to sleep in the next room as we were not quiet lovers. Dimitri blushed and then agreed to put her on the second floor.

"What about your family? Will they come with us if we need to move?" I asked.

"I'm not sure if they will come with us, I am going to speak with Pavel and then my family to see what they want to do. And it is more of a 'when' we go to Turkey not an 'if'. I think it is only a matter of time before Tasha and Adrian make their move. And I wouldn't put it past Tasha to let Adrian know where you are." Dimitri explained.

I let out a big sigh and Dimitri pulled me on to his lap and started rubbing my back "I know this isn't how you imagined spending the rest of your senior year. I just whished there was a way I could fix it." He comforted me.

"Yes, it's not how I imagined my senior year but having you here with me and having a relationship with you out in the open is more than I ever dared to dream." I said.

"Would you like to go out on another date this Saturday?" Dimitri asked.

"Is it safe?" I wondered.

"Nothing is ever truly safe, but keeping you locked up here won't help your mental health. And we will take extra guardians as well. So, what do you think?"

"I would love too. What are we going to do?" I asked.

"It's a surprise, but I will take care of all the details." Dimitri ginned.

Dimitri and I went to the living room to watch some tv, but once I sat down and cuddled with him, I was asleep in seconds.

I awoke later to the feeling of floating as I heard Dimitri say "shh, I am just carrying you to bed". I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Suddenly, I was in a dream and I was in one of the Court gardens and I was wearing a very short dress. Suddenly I could smell clove cigarettes and vodka. I noticed a shadow on the ground and I spun around and there was Adrian.

**Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. I hope you are as enjoying it as much as I am to write the story. To those of you who leave a review, thank you, I love reading them. **

**Trouble is about to start in Baia!**

**Stay Safe**


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Adrian Dream Walks

"_Adrian" I spit out. "What do you want?"_

"_I want to talk with you, you hung on me" Adrian said._

"_No, my father hung up on you, he didn't like what you said." I said hastily._

"_I'm sorry Rose, you are right, I took it too far. I am just concerned for you. Please look me in the eyes." Adrian said sweetly._

"_No, Adrian, I will not look in your eyes, I don't know if you can compel me in a dream." I said looking down at my feet._

"_Rose, I would never compel you" Adrian said in his sickly-sweet voice. "I just need to know where you are, so I can come get you and protect you. I can protect you better than your father, your mother and Dimitri combined."_

_I could hear Adrian walking towards me. When he got to me his feet were about an inch from mine._

"_Rose, little dhampir, please look at me. I don't want to tell you how I feel about you when you are looking at your feet." Adrian said. _

_I just continued to look at my feet._

"_Fine, I'll tell you looking at the top of your head." Adrian huffed out. "I am in love with you Rose, I want you to come to Court so I can protect you. I have so much money, you will never have to work as a guardian. You can do whatever you want, you can buy whatever you want. You can redecorate the Ivashkov wing at the Palace if you want."_

"_Adrian, I am sorry but I am not in love with you. And I don't need your money, if I want money, I can ask my father for it." I said._

_Suddenly Adrian grabbed my upper arms and started shaking me violently back and forth. "Rose, look at me." Adrian screamed at me. I closed my eyes as he shook me and my head was forced back and forth._

"_Rose, look at me! Open your fucking eyes!" Adrian screamed._

_Adrian stopped shaking me but his hands still tightly gripped my upper arms. His voice got very low and very quiet and he said "Rose if you don't open your eyes and give me what I want, I will visit your dreams every night, until you give me what I want."_

_I didn't reply to Adrian, instead I was trying to wake myself up. I was angry enough, but I was unable to end the dream. The next thing I realized Adrian was trying to kiss me. I was trying to push him off of me but he was stronger. Dam dream, if I was awake, I would be able to kick Adrian's ass._

"_Adrian, stop it, this isn't you." I yelled as I continued to try to push him off of me. I still had my eyes closed and I kept trying to turn my heads to the side._

_Adrian swept my feet out from under me and I fell to the ground hard. Unfortunately, Adrian came with me. I kept trying to push Adrian off me, but now I was fighting gravity as well._

"_Get the fuck off of me Adrian" I screamed at him. My head was to the side so Adrian was kissing my neck._

_I heard the most beautiful word and voice ever "Roza"._

_God, Dimitri, get me out of this dream. I concentrated on his voice and then I could smell him. Adrian was trying to say something to me but I couldn't figure out what he was saying. _

"_Roza" I heard Dimitri say and his scent was getting stronger and I could feel him shaking my shoulders._

_Finally, I made it out of my dream._

"Roza! Roza! Wake up!" I heard Dimitri say.

I stopped fighting and opened my eyes "Comrade?" I asked. I noticed that Dimitri was above me sitting on his knees with his hands on my shoulders trying to wake me up.

I started crying and Dimitri shifted and pulled me into his arms and said "Your safe Milaya" as he brushed my hair out of my face.

He started whispering to me in Russian and running his finger through my hair helping to calm me down. It was working and once he felt me relax into him and I had stopped crying, he kissed my forehead.

"Did you have another dream about Tasha and Jesse?" Dimitri asked.

"No" I said "Um, do you think we could make some hot chocolate and talk in the living room?"

"Of course" Dimitri said with a little hesitation. We both got out of bed and I put on a pair of leggings and Dimitri handed me one of his shirts. He knew that his scent was the best way for me to stay calm. Dimitri put on pj bottoms and a t-shirt. We walked out to the kitchen, Dimitri put the kettle on to heat the water as I grabbed two mugs. Dimitri grabbed four packets of hot chocolate mix and put two packets in each mug.

While we were waiting for the water to heat, Dimitri pulled me to his chest and rested his cheek on the top of my head.

"You know I love you, right" Dimitri asked as he rubbed my back.

"Yeah" I said but I held back my thoughts.

"Why do I feel like there is a but coming?" Dimitri questioned.

"Because there is and I am afraid you are going to be mad at me. And I don't want you to leave me" I cried into his chest.

Dimitri pulled back a little and cupped my face in both hands and tilted my head up to look at him "Roza, that will never happen" he said as he wiped away the tears that silently streamed down my face.

The tea kettle whistled and Dimitri let go of me to fill both the mugs. Once he stirred the mix, he went to the refrigerator to get the whip cream to top off the hot chocolate. Dimitri gave me one of the mugs and I headed for the couch as he followed me. I sat down in one of the corners of the U-shaped couch and Dimitri sat next to me.

"What's going on Roza? You know you can tell me anything." Dimitri asked.

I took a deep breath and said "I have something to tell you and I probably should have told you sooner but I know it is a sore subject with you."

Dimitri gave me a confused look. I told myself just say it quick like ripping off a band aid. Dimitri put his mug down and took my mug and placed it on the table next to him. He grabbed my hands with both of his and said "Roza, whatever it is we will get through it. Plus, you are probably making it worse in your head than it really is."

"Okay" I said "So you know how Adrian is a spirit user like Lissa and Oksana. But like Oksana he has different abilities than Lissa, like seeing auras."

Dimitri cautiously nodded for me to continue.

"And Adrian doesn't have a bond with anyone, like Lissa has me to take away the darkness, which is why he drinks and smokes."

"Okay, I am with you so far" Dimitri said as he rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand to give me strength to tell him and it was working.

"One of Adrian's spirit abilities is dream walking. So, when you are asleep, he will basically show up and set the scene of the dream."

I saw Dimitri get a little tense at what I told him and he asked "Do you mind if I ask some questions about it?"

"Yes" I said enthusiastically "I never want there to be secrets between us, I just didn't know how to tell you."

Dimitri nodded and brought my hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back of my hand. "When did he start dream walking with you?"

"When I met him at the ski lodge" I said.

I could tell Dimitri was trying to remain calm, but I knew that Adrian was a sore spot with Dimitri and now he knew Adrian was flirting with me at the lodge when I was awake and when I was sleeping.

"What do these dreams consist of?"

"Well Adrian usually picks the location like a beach or at a house in the middle of nowhere. And he usually picks what outfit I am wearing." I explained and I knew Dimitri would not like the part about Adrian picking my outfits.

"Do you have any control over the dreams? Can you get out of the dream if you wanted" Dimitri questioned.

"Adrian says that if someone is angry enough, they can wake themselves up, therefore ending the dream. That is what I usually do, because I am usually pissed that he is interfering with my sleep" I explained and now for the worst part I thought. "But this last time I could not wake myself up no matter how angry I was and how hard I tried." I paused to let Dimitri process what I told him.

"So, what happened in the dream" Dimitri asked while he rubbed my back.

I took a deep breath and said "He wanted me to look into his eyes, but I didn't because I didn't know if he could compel me in his dream."

"Good thinking Roza" Dimitri said.

"He came up to me and I just kept looking at my feet. He told me he loved me and he wanted to be with me. I told him I didn't love him. He said I wouldn't have to work as a guardian ever because he had money. I told him that it didn't matter because Baba had money". I paused because I knew Dimitri was not going to like the last part.

"Go on, Roza, it's okay, no secrets." Dimitri said lovingly.

"He grabbed my arms and starting yelling at me to look at him, and he said if I didn't give him what he wanted he would visit me every night." I said gathering my courage for the next part. "Then he started kissing me and he swept my legs out from underneath me and I hit the ground and then he landed on top of me. It was weird that he was stronger than me in the dream. And I was trying to get myself out of the dream and even though I was so angry, I couldn't wake up,"

I could feel the anger rising in Dimitri, but I could also tell he was trying to calm himself down for my benefit. He didn't say anything for about five minutes so I said "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just didn't want you to think that I wanted Adrian when I really wanted you."

"Thank you Roza for letting me know." He said as he pulled me onto his lap and I rested my head on his chest. "But please know there isn't anything that you can't tell me, okay?"

"Okay" I responded.

"So why do you think you could not wake yourself up this time? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?" Dimitri asked.

"I don't know, it just seemed like he was a darker, meaner version of himself. Normally he just wants to talk, but this time he was yelling at me and being really aggressive."

"Do you think it was because of his drinking or do you think the darkness is building up in him?" Dimitri asked as he rubbed my back and kissed me on the top of my head in an effort to comfort me.

"I don't know, it was just different" I said as Dimitri pulled me closer to his chest and wrapping his arms around me.

"Let's talk with Abe tomorrow and at lunch time we can call Mark and Oksana to see if there is a way to prevent Adrian from dream-walking you".

"That sounds good, but I don't want to fall asleep and deal with Adrian again" I said sadly.

"Well I can think of something we could do in bed that has nothing to do with sleep." Dimitri whispered.

"Comrade, I like the way you think." I said as Dimitri stood up with me still in his arms and he carried me down the hall to our bedroom.

Dimitri made love to me and then we sat in bed talking, which led to another round of love making. Dimitri fell asleep shortly after that, but I was still nervous to fall back to sleep. So, I went into the office and looked over what schoolwork I needed to get done.

I could hear someone in the kitchen and I thought I heard the distinct sound of someone crying.

I left the office and walked into the kitchen, where I found Vika crying. I went over to her and hugged her and she hugged me back but she kept on crying.

"Vika, what happened? Did Matt do something?" I asked hoping this did not involve him.

Vika shook her head no "No it wasn't anything to do with Matt." And almost as if on cue, Matt walked upstairs and saw Vika and me in the kitchen.

"Hey guys what's up?" He started but when he saw Vika, he rushed to her side and said "Vika what's wrong why are you crying?"

Vika just cried harder in my arms and Matt started rubbing her back. He looked at me and asked "Do you know what is going on?"

"No, I just came out here." I said and I knew we were making enough noise that Dimitri would hear us.

"Matt, take Vika to sit on the couch and I will make hot chocolate." I said as Dimitri came down the hallway.

"What's happening?" Dimitri asked looking from me to Vika and to Matt.

"I don't know, I was doing some homework and I heard someone in the kitchen crying. I came out here and saw it was Vika, then Matt came up from downstairs and then you came out."

Dimitri took one last look at Vika, noticing that Matt was calming her down and so he helped me make the hot chocolates. We walked over to the couch and gave them their drinks and I sat down beside Vika and Dimitri was behind me.

"What's wrong Vika?" Dimitri asked.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. I was dreaming and there was this person who looked like Adrian, but then not. I know this doesn't make any sense" Vika said with tears falling down her face. I wiped her tears and I was happy to see the way Matt was comforting her. He really is a good guy and I hope things will work out between them.

I felt Dimitri stiffen behind me. It was obvious that Adrian had dream walked Vika and probably the same thing that happened to me happened to her.

"I'm sorry Vika, it's my fault. I didn't tell anyone that Adrian can dream walk until it happened tonight and I told Dimitri about it" I told her feeling guilty I hadn't shared this information earlier.

"What happened to you" Vika said as she was still quietly sobbing.

"When Adrian dream walks, he creates the dream from where you are to what you are wearing. He normally would just talk to me. But tonight, he was angry and mean and he was yelling at me to tell him where I was and then he started kissing me, which is when I started fighting him and Dimitri woke me up finally"

"What happened Vika?" Dimitri reached around me and grabbed Vika's hand.

"I was at St Basil's and I felt like someone was chasing me, so I ran into the gym where I knew the novices and guardians would be training. Everyone looked up at me and then Adrian came in behind me and he just started yelling at me as to where was Rose. But the guardians and novices didn't try to stop him". Vika said as I watched her relax into Matt a little bit.

"Did he try to kiss you or anything like that?" Dimitri asked. I could tell Dimitri was trying to be as calm as possible for Vika.

"No, he didn't do anything other than yelling at me and grabbing me by the shoulders" Vika said. I felt Dimitri let out a breath he had been holding in.

"I'm sorry Vika, I didn't know he would try to go after anybody else but me." I said as I started crying.

Dimitri let go of Vika's hand and then he wrapped his arms around me comforting me.

"It's okay Rose, it just freaked me out. I thought at first, I was just dreaming because of what you told us happened on Sunday night. But it just seemed so real." Vika told me.

I nodded at her and hugged her letting her know I understand.

Dimitri spoke up "Well it is 4:30 am and I have a feeling that none us are going to get any sleep, so let's get dressed and start working out early and maybe we will take the afternoon off."

The four of us walked into the gym and Dimitri pulled me to the side and told us to be quiet. I looked where Dimitri was looking and we saw Pavel sparing with two guardians. I was impressed at his skill level.

I have been watching Dimitri fight and everyone always thought he was a god, but Pavel was better than Dimitri. Pavel moved so fast and he has so much strength behind his hits. We stood there watching Pavel spar and we were all in awe of what we were seeing.

After fifteen minutes, Pavel finished sparring and shook hands with the guardians he was sparring with. He got his water and a towel and then started walking over to us.

"Well, if the four of you are here at this hour, something must be up" Pavel said.

Dimitri started "Roza informed me that Adrian can dream walk and he dreamed walked both Roza and Vika last night and Adrian was pretty aggressive."

"Dream walks?" Pavel asked. As Dimitri explained to Pavel about dream walking, I watched as Vika leaned into Matt and he put an arm around her waist to comfort her. It made my heart happy to see them together.

"Alright, I think Oksana mentioned charming silver to help with spirit issues. I will call them later to see if she can make something to prevent Adrian from dream walking anyone." Pavel stated.

"My plan for today was to do training this morning and take the afternoon off and maybe take a walk and have lunch in town. This way we can see how this team works together." Dimitri explained.

"Sounds good, let me make some phone calls and speak with Abe. I will meet everyone at Rose's suite at 11:30am." Pavel said as he excused himself.

We started with a 10-mile run, Dimitri said he wanted to increase our endurance. I matched Dimitri's pace as Vika matched Matt's pace. Once we finished, I gulped down half a bottle of water and then half a bottle of Gatorade.

All of us went into a stretching routine and we helped each other to increase our flexibility when needed. I knew that Dimitri particularly loved helping me stretch my ham strings, since I was on my back and it exposed my core to him. But I also loved toying with him by saying "Oh, Comrade, I'm good, I don't need any stretching." Watching a 6 ft 7in man pout was hysterical in the end I let him, because I always loved how close he got to me.

Vika and I started on a yoga routine and Dimitri and Matt were participating unless they saw a mistake and then Vika and I were corrected or guided into the move better.

After, that we started doing weights, Vika and I spotted each other and Dimitri and Matt spotted each other.

Dimitri set up two dummies for Vika and I, he wanted us to practice boxing on the dummies. While it is not as effective on a strigoi, Dimitri said it would come in handy with moroi and human attacks. At the academy, they taught us how to jab, cross, hook and upper cut. Dimitri had Vika and I hit the dummy with these punches and he and Matt would correct our stance or technique.

I'm not sure how or why, but I just started hitting the dummy over and over. I was grunting with each hit and I could here Dimitri in the background, but I was to far gone in a rage fueled fight.

The next thing I knew, two strong arms grabbed me from behind immobilizing me and pulling me onto the floor. As this happened, I let out a blood curdling scream.

"Roza, Roza, calm down" I heard. I was starting to hyperventilate and I could see Vika and Matt in front of me talking but I couldn't hear a word they were saying.

I could hear Dimitri's voice behind me saying "Roza, calm down, take a few deep breaths, you are hyperventilating. Milaya, you're safe, relax, you are okay, I got you."

I relaxed into the body behind me and was rewarded with the smell of Dimitri's aftershave. "Comrade?" I asked.

"Yes Roza, it's me, your safe." Dimitri said.

Once my breathing slowed down, Dimitri asked "Roza, what happened, did you take some darkness from Lissa?"

I shook my head "No, I don't know what happened. I just got so angry and it felt good to hit the dummy." Tears started running down my face and Dimitri wiped them away as they fell.

"Come on, let's take showers and get ready to meet Pavel and to go have lunch in town." Dimitri said.

I stood up as I realized for the first time I was standing in Dimitri's lap. I gave him a hand to help him up. I turned around to Vika and Matt and said "I'm sorry you guys had to see that."

"Rose, it's okay, it's understandable with everything that has happened. Come on let's get ready. I love the café that we are going to for lunch"

"Thanks, Vika" I said. We all walked back to get ready. Once we reached the third floor, it seemed eerily quiet, because usually at this hour, Olena, Karo and Sonya would be busy making lunch.

We showered and Dimitri chose dark jeans and a knit sweater. He was leaving his duster home, because daytime temperatures were starting to get warmer. He put his stakes in his jeans, one on either side. I chose to wear black skinny jeans with a dark red long-sleeved shirt and a black leather jacket and a pair of boots.

"You look pretty milaya" Dimitri said.

"Thanks Comrade, you look pretty hot yourself." I looked him up and down suggestively and I saw him gulp under my gaze. "The things I can do to you when we come back" I said with my man-eating smile.

"Milaya, don't talk like that or I will take you right here right now" Dimitri said.

Right then there was a knock on the door, Dimitri walked over with his hand on the stake and asked "Who is it?"

"Pavel with Mr. Mazur" I heard Pavel say.

Dimitri gave me a look I had never seen before and I could only describe as being petrified. I thought back to his last comment and I knew he was worried that they might have overheard his last comment. Dimitri quickly put his guardian mask and went to open the door as I dropped onto the bed in a fit of giggles.

"Kiz? What are you finding so amusing?" Baba asked as he and Pavel walked into the bedroom.

Dimitri shot me a panicked look from behind Pavel and Baba.

"Lissa called me to see if she could keep her emotions down while I was in her head. She told Christian to scare her and he tried to be scary by having his fangs out and everything. But instead of being scared Lissa was hysterically laughing, which caused me to laugh as well and then I heard the knock on the door and got out of her head." I said wiping the tears that were falling down my cheeks.

Dimitri mouthed "Thank you" from behind Pavel and Baba.

"Well, we spoke with Oksana and Mark and she charmed some objects for the two of you and Vika and Matt." Baba said. "Necklaces for the girls and dog tags for the guys. You can change the jewelry later, but this is what we could do on such short noticed."

"Thank you, Baba, they look great" I said.

"Yes, thank you Abe, please pass our gratitude to Oksana" Dimitri said.

Baba handed me the necklace for Vika which was the same as mine. It was silver and a single infinity sign that hung from the necklace. The dog tag for Matt was the same as the one Dimitri had.

"Alright, Kiz, have a great time in town. I called ahead and let them know that you are coming with a large guarding team. Everything is paid for in advance and before you start arguing, I go there often when I am in Baia, so they are used to it." Baba said.

"Thank you, Baba," I said as I gave him a hug.

Pavel said "Any problems arise, Rose hit your panic button and we will be there in 2 minutes."

Pavel and Baba left and we headed into the living area and Matt and Vika were talking to each other on the couch. I gave Vika the necklace and Matt the dog tags and explained that this was just a quick solution and if they wanted any other jewelry then we could have it charmed.

There were a few guardians in the living room but I suspected that the rest of them were waiting outside. Dimitri asked if everyone was ready and everyone answered yes. We walked down the stairs and found the rest of the guardians outside.

Dimitri said he chose to take all the guardians so he could evaluate them as a group. Dimitri said he felt with so many threats, that this group needed to be tight.

Once outside Dimitri gave directions "Guardian Mathews and Guardian Yuri will be in front of us walking into town and will eat outside on the patio. Vika and Guardian Logan will walk with us and eat at a table outside with us as well."

"Guardian Cooper and Guardian Volkov will walk behind us and eat inside the café. Guardian O'Brien and Guardian Ellis will drive down and park on the opposite side of the square. Should any trouble happen Guardian Ellis will get out of the car and assist, but O'Brien will stay in the car." Dimitri stated.

"Guardian Andreev and Guardian Sokolov will drive down and you will park on the street closest to the café. Sokolov will drive and stay in the car and Andreev will assist if there is an attack. Andreev your main concern is getting Rose and Vika into the car and get them back to the compound." Dimitri said with an authoritative tone.

Guardian Andreev nodded to Dimitri to let him know he accepted his role.

"Guardian Ludwig, Guardian Zimmerman and Guardian Walker will drive down in the third SUV and park and the three of you will be outside the café. Mr. Mazur says he has taken care of meals, for the four of you that are staying in the car, a café worker will discretely bring you food" Dimitri said.

"Any questions?" Dimitri asked. No one answered. "Okay, I believe we should be free from the threat from strigoi as it is in the middle of the day. But they can still linger about in dark areas. Everyone should have received the folder with the latest threats?" Dimitri asked.

Everyone nodded yes, I thought wtf, how come I didn't get one that contained information on the threats. I will be speaking to Dimitri about that tonight.

"Be on alert for Tasha Ozera and Guardian Andrew as we know that they are here in Baia. Also be on the lookout for Adrian Ivashkov, while I don't believe he has left Court, keep an eye out for him and the Royal Guardians that will accompany him." Dimitri informed everyone.

Everyone nodded and guardians got into three of the SUVs and drove down to the town square. Celeste and Yuri started walking and Dimitri turned to me and asked "Ready?"

I nodded and Dimitri took my hand and kissed it and then laced his fingers through mine and we started to walk into town. I was in heaven the whole time with Dimitri holding my hand in public and nobody cared.

While on the quick walk, Matt and I became spectators of a sibling fight as Vika and Dimitri went at it about what occurred as they grew up. I was laughing so hard, my stomach hurt. Lissa and her brother Andre never had this type of relationship.

As we reached the center of town, I looked around at all the shops that lined the streets surrounding the town square. I couldn't tell what kind of shops they were, but I could make out a few of them based on the picture on their signs.

A disturbance on the opposite side of the square caught all of our attention. I recognized the Royal Guardians and Adrian was right in front of them looking at me from across the square.

**Thank you for all the reviews, I love them! **

**Stay safe!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Due to the what is happening in the US and around the World, just a quick warning, things will be a little tense in this chapter. I am going to write at least one chapter of fluffy happiness after this before getting back into the heart of the story. Please feel free to skip the chapter if necessary, I will write a quick synopsis at the beginning of the next chapter.**

Chapter 31: Adrian in Baia

It was such a nice walk down the streets to the town square. Today happened to be an abnormal high temperature where it was warm enough in just a light jacket. Okay, so I admit it, the weather was similar to Montana and not the artic wasteland that I thought it was.

Dimitri brought me out of my thoughts when he asked "Roza, what are you thinking about? I've called your name like three times."

A blush creeped up my face and Dimitri said in a low, husky tone "Roza".

"Not that, Comrade, I was just thinking how nice Baia was and how it isn't the artic wasteland that I thought it was".

Dimitri stared at me until he started with a rich, full laughter which triggered a laugh from me. 'It's not that funny Comrade" I said.

"Yes, it is!" He said as he continued to laugh.

Once we settled down and resumed our walk, I could see how at one time Baia was a thriving community that had come under hard times. The sidewalk is full of cracks and sometimes missing pieces. The concrete stairs to the houses were also full of cracks and missing steps.

The houses were in various stages of disrepair but beyond that you could see and feel the life of the community. Mothers were hanging out their laundry to dry while children played outside and ran around their mother's legs. There were toys strewn all over the yard and while the houses were well worn, they were also well loved.

As if Dimitri could tell what I was thinking, he had a huge smile on his face, he pulled me closer and kissed the top of my head.

We entered the town square and I looked around, there was a huge fountain in the middle of the square. There were trees scattered throughout and benches along pathways. The outside of the square was littered with shops and while I couldn't understand the Russians signs, I could figure out what some of them sold by the pictures displayed on the signs.

A commotion on the opposite side of the square brought me out of my thoughts. When I looked in the direction of the commotion, it was hard to ignore the uniform of the Royal Guard and in front was Adrian.

"It's Adrian" I pointed out to Dimitri.

Dimitri was started speaking rapidly in Russian, and I am pretty sure they were swear words as he turned around to address our group. Dimitri had grabbed my upper arm and pulled me to his side. I felt like a rag doll because any time he moved he pulled me with him.

"Roza hit your panic button" Dimitri said and I complied and got my phone out and hit the panic button. All of sudden, Dimitri's phone started alarming, so he silenced it so he could give out orders, but Pavel and Baba would still receive the alarm as well.

"Vika and Logan, get in touch with Pavel and tell him Adrian is here, we are probably going to need Mr. Mazur as well."

As I watch Dimitri in action, I was in awe. But it was at that time that I realized Dimitri and all the guardians had earpieces with mics on. Vika and I were the only ones who didn't have an earpiece.

Dimitri took a deep breath and said into the mic "Alright, here is your crash course in Spirit. Adrian can read auras, which means he can tell if you are lying or telling the truth. He drinks and smokes to deal with the darkness and the more darkness he has, the more out of control he is. And since he's the Queen's favorite great nephew, he pretty much does whatever he wants."

"Rose" Adrian yelled across the square as he and the Queen's guard started coming over to us.

"Comrade just follow my lead" I said looking at Dimitri while fiddling with my necklace.

"Rose, thank god I finally found you. Are you okay?" he said with ingenious concern.

"Adrian, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I'm here to get you and bring you back to court for your protection" Adrian said.

"Adrian, I am safe, I'm here with my parents and Dimitri."

"What the mobster, a mother who abandoned you and Tasha's lover?" Adrian angrily spit out.

The last part about Tasha's lover hurt a little bit even though I knew it wasn't true. Dimitri stiffened beside me and the grip on my arm became a little tighter.

"Well thank you Adrian for pointing that out. But I assure you that this is the best place for me" I said as I rolled my eyes. Adrian was now standing in front of Dimitri and me with his guardians flanking either side of him.

"I spoke with my great aunt and she told me to come get you. She gave me some of her Royal Guardians, as well as her jet. So, let's go and we can pick up Lissa along the way." Adrian said as he tried to grab the arm that was not held by Dimitri.

That was the tipping point where things started to go very bad, very quickly. Dimitri immediately pulled me behind him causing Adrian to lose the hold he had on my arm.

"Don't touch her again!" Dimitri said emphasizing each word.

Yuri was by my side with Celeste backing him up and Cooper and Volkov quickly closed in behind us. The guardians in the SUVs had pulled up to the side of the square we were on and in position to get out of the area and back to the compound quickly if needed. The rest of the guardians had flanked Dimitri and me, ready to protect me with their lives.

Suddenly we heard screeching tires and I turned to look and saw Pavel, Mom and Baba getting out of an SUV and another SUV pulled up with ten additional guardians. Baba and Pavel quickly reached us and stood in front of Dimitri and me and my mother came to the side opposite Dimitri.

"Adrian, so good to see you again, we are attracting a crowd, might I suggest we go back to my house and discuss things?" Baba said trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Yeah, I don't think so, I am not going anywhere with a mobster. I'm here to take Rose home with me" Adrian said focusing his stare on me.

"Well, how about we go inside the hotel and talk. This midday sun isn't good for us" Baba said. Adrian looked around and sized up the situation and agreed "fine".

We walked into the hotel and Baba went to speak with someone, shortly thereafter, we were shown to a conference room.

Adrian approached me with his hands up while we were waiting for Baba "Rose, could I speak with you, alone" he said and looked at Dimitri when he said alone.

"Not right now Adrian" I responded trying to keep things calm and neutral as possible.

"Please Rose, it will only take a few moments" Adrian all but begged, I thought I could hear the distinct sound of him trying to use compulsion. If he was trying to use compulsion than the necklace was working.

"Maybe in a little bit" I said. Dimitri still had an iron grip on my arm and I knew that he would not leave my side for a second and it seemed as though neither was my mom, Celeste or Yuri.

We all walked into the conference room and Adrian went and sat on one of the tables and the Royal Guardians flanked behind him. Baba was in the center of all the tables. I sensed that he was doing this so Adrian's attention was on him and not me. It seemed to me that he has used this tactic in past negotiations possibly. Pavel was leaning on a table opposite Adrian, but inside the square that made up the tables.

Dimitri guided me to a seat close to the exit of the conference room. Dimitri sat so close to me that I would've been in his lap if I had been any closer. Mom had entered the inside of the conference tables and was leaning on our table.

Yuri and Celeste were standing behind Dimitri and I and the rest of the Mazur Guardians were either along the wall, at the doorway to the conference room and in the SUVs outside waiting for us.

It was then that I realized that maybe Stan knew what he was talking about, god I hope he never finds out that I thought that. Since the Royal Guardians were used to being inside any room the Queen was normally in, it caused them to be used to being the furthest away from the entrance. At the moment I realized it, Baba smirked at me and I gasped slightly. Baba had planned for this or had been in a similar situation. I had much to learn from the old man.

When I gasped, Dimitri quietly asked me what was wrong and I told him I was fine and I would tell him later.

"Well now, Adrian what brings you to Russia more specifically Baia" Baba asked.

"When I explained to my great aunt that Rose was in danger, she insisted that I take her jet and some Royal Guardians and to bring her safely back to Court, where she will be under the protection of the Royal Guardians." Adrian replied.

"Now why do I find that hard to believe, from what I hear the Queen hates Rose." Baba started.

"I think hate is a strong word Abe" Adrian countered.

"Nope, she hates me" I interjected "and the feeling is mutual" I mumbled under my breath.

"Careful Roza" Dimitri mumbled.

"Rose, she just hasn't had the chance to get to know you like I have. And if I could just talk to you alone for a minute, this will all be cleared up." Adrian pleaded.

"Adrian, I'm not going to Court with you. I am staying here with my parents and Dimitri" I told him.

Adrian got up and started pacing back and forth. "Tell me again, why do you want to stay with your mobster father and the mother who abandoned you!"

"Adrian, you don't have all the information and frankly it's none of your business" I responded. I noticed Pavel and Baba were having a side conversation but were still monitoring Adrian.

"Your right, I'm sorry Rose, but Lissa really needs you now, she's having a hard time right now" Adrian said as he continued pacing.

"Lissa's fine Adrian, I just talked with her a few days ago" I responded.

"Rose, why are you being so difficult about this, just get on the plane and we can be done with this mess." Adrian said as the level of his voice was starting to rise.

"Adrian, why do you want me at Court so bad?" I asked.

"Because I need you" he huffed out.

"Have you ever considered my needs. That maybe I don't want to live at Court." I said as I got a pointed look from Baba and growl from Dimitri inferring I was pushing things with Adrian.

"Why wouldn't you want to come to Court. Everything you could ever need is at Court. We can pick up Lissa and Christian on the way home. If you want, we can have Lissa and Christian stay at the Palace, if you would like." Adrian offered.

I didn't like that offer, he was almost treating Christian and Lissa as second class people. While I couldn't hear any conversation going on, I had the sense that Dimitri was hearing someone on his earpiece. Not wanting to give Adrian any idea that all the guardians were receiving information, I continued talking to him, misleading him into thinking I was pondering his idea.

"Adrian, I have spent a lot of my life training to be a guardian. It would be weird not to have that in my life." I said as neutral as I could, I looked at Baba for confirmation that I was going in the right direction and I perceived a slight nod from him.

"There are gyms at Court or we can have one built specifically for you." Adrian said. He started looking around the room detecting that something was going on.

Baba again tried to deflect the conversation. "Adrian, I think you have given Rose a generous offer. And even though Rose is a few weeks away from her 18th birthday, we are still her parents and will decide where she goes."

"But" Adrian started to speak but Baba put his hand up. "I have a house at Court if it is still standing. I will have a few guardians check it out, since it has been awhile since I have been there. Then Janine and I will discuss whether or not to bring our daughter to Court. As you can understand, it doesn't have happy memories for us." Baba explained as walked over to where Janine was leaning against our table. I quickly realized that Baba was blocking Adrian's view of me just long enough for Dimitri to tell me that when he says run, RUN.

I nodded to let Dimitri and Baba know I understood. Adrian seemed to realize something was up and his anger and darkness seemed to increase, possibly since he was attempting to use compulsion and it was not working, so instead Adrian went straight to threats.

"Rose, if you don't come with me, Dimitri will never work as a guardian in our world again and I will have him charged with statutory rape" Adrian spit out.

"He works for my father, so technically, he doesn't work in our world." I fought back, I felt a hand on my back, Dimitri still had an iron glad grip on my arm, so I knew it wasn't him, it was either Celeste or Yuri trying to calm me down.

"Are you fucking him" Adrian yelled at me.

"Really Adrian" Dimitri yelled back. I knew it was only a matter of time before Dimitri lost his cool with Adrian. And it was about to go to hell in a handbasket.

"Did he tell you that he is still fucking Tasha!" Adrian directed towards me. I rolled my eyes at him.

"Well Tasha say he is." Adrian said with a satisfaction laced in his voice.

"Adrian, when is the last time you spoke with Tasha?" Baba asked.

"Yesterday" Adrian said with a smile on his face "Oh, and she turned herself strigoi".

I think I heard swears simultaneously in English, Turkish and Russian and probably a few other languages. I heard Dimitri yell "RUN" and as I stood up Dimitri pushed me to the door. I saw Royal Guardians spring from against the wall behind Adrian to prevent me from leaving. Out of the corner of my eye, just before I reached the door, I saw my Mom fly at the closest Royal Guardian to me.

Once in the lobby of the hotel on our way to the SUV, I heard a high pitched scream and Baba yell "Janine". I started to turn my head to see what happened, but Dimitri said "Keep going Roza".

I was pushed into a SUV, but instead of going home we headed for the airport. I hadn't realized I was gasping for breath until Dimitri said "Relax Roza, you're okay. As soon as we get you to the plane, we check on your parents, okay?"

I nodded and tried to slow my breathing. I looked around for the first time and I realized I was between Dimitri and Celeste and I felt a hand on my shoulder and saw that it was Yuri's. He was presently looking out the window for threats but he was lending me support.

At this point, I started to wonder if I was ever really capable of guarding Lissa, watching how seamless this extraction went down. I would have to talk with Dimitri at a later time about this, but right now I just wanted to get to the plane, even though it was likely to produce a mind-numbing headache. Once we reached the airfield, Dimitri had literally pushed me up the stairs and placed me into a seat and he sat down next to me. We took off as soon as everyone was on the plane, once we leveled off in the air I asked "Dimitri, where are we going?"

"I don't know Roza, your father thought it was better this way because we couldn't give anything away."

I nodded at his answer and asked "Are you ever going to let my arm go?" as I looked where he was holding my arm.

"Sorry Roza" he said as he rubbed my arm trying to restore some circulation to it. Then he peppered it with kisses as he asked "How is your head feeling?"

I thought about it, "There is a little bit of pressure but otherwise it's okay" I said surprised that I had no pain.

"Abe said that he had the plane warded as well as being stocked with medication for you in case we needed to fly urgently. But I am happy to hear that warding the plane worked or maybe it's the necklace that has been charmed with Spirit. Here, turn around, I'll take it off you and we will see what happens." Dimitri instructed.

As soon as it was off the pain came back "It's the necklace" was all I could groan out.

"Hold on" Dimitri said as he placed it back on. "Better?"

I took a deep breath and sunk back into my seat "Better, thanks, so that answers that question, at least we know now" I said as Dimitri pulled me closer to him.

A dhampir man in a pilot's uniform walked up to me and said "Hi Miss Hathaway, I am the Scott Evans, the copilot, and I along with the pilot William Smith, are here for you. Per your father's order, we are flying you to his home in Turkey, outside of Istanbul. It will take us about three and a half hours, if you need anything please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Mr. Evans, is there any way to call my father?" I asked.

"Yes, there is a phone in the galley that you may use" he said and headed back to the front of the plane.

I took a deep breath and blew it out. Dimitri stood up and grabbed my hand and said "Come on, let's call Abe?"

Dimitri led me to the gallery and we found the phone on the wall, there was a flight attendant whom Dimitri spoke with briefly. I didn't hear what he said, but she quickly left us alone to make our call. As much as I wanted to make sure everyone was okay, I was also afraid to find out what happened. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Dimitri picked up the phone and dialed Baba's phone and put it on speaker. After the third ring, Pavel answered the phone.

"Pavel, it Rose and Dimitri, we are calling to see how Janine and Abe are?"

Dimitri had pulled me to his side and I was clutching his shirt waiting for Pavel's answer.

"Rose, everyone is fine" Pavel finally said "Your mother charged the Royal Guardian who went after you and she broke her clavicle when they collided. But Oksana came down and has already healed her."

"Can I talk to her? Wait, why are you answering Baba's phone?" I asked.

"Well" Pavel hesitated "They are currently arguing with each other, Abe is not happy with what she did. But don't worry I'm sure they make up soon."

"Ewe, Pavel, I don't want to know that!" I screeched and Dimitri chuckled at my reaction.

"What happened with Adrian?" Dimitri asked.

"After you left, the Royal Guardian in charge convinced Adrian to leave, hopefully that means Adrian will return to Court. We still have a few guardians at Court, so they will let us know if Adrian returns to Court or not. As for Tasha Ozera, I have alerted the guardians in Turkey about her as well as your impending arrival."

"Okay, thank you Pavel" I said. We hung up and Dimitri led me back to our seats and as I sat down, Dimitri handed me a coke and a brownie.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Sugar" Dimitri stated "When a moroi has a stressful experience you give them blood, when a dhampir or human has a stressful experience, you give them sugar."

"Thanks, Comrade" I said as I devoured both. Dimitri raised the armrest and cuddled me to his chest and placed a blanket over the two of us before turning off the overhead light. The next thing I knew Dimitri was pushing hair out of my face and peppering me with kisses.

"Roza, wake up, we landed". I opened my eyes and saw his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes. "Come on sleepy girl, let's check out your new place."

I noticed that most of the guardians had already walked off the plane. Dimitri walked in front of me and walked down the stairs in front of me surveying the area. As soon as Dimitri stepped on the tarmac and moved aside, I was almost knocked over by a mass with blonde hair.

"Rose!" Lissa yelled.

**Stay Safe! (Which has so many more meanings right now)**


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: First Night in Turkey

"Lissa!" I screamed and I hugged her as hard as I could. I didn't realize until that moment how much I missed her, she was my best friend and family all rolled into one. After I was able to extricate myself from her, I gave Christian a big hug and said "Hey Firecrotch, thanks for keeping Lissa safe."

To my surprise, Christian gave me a tight hug back and said "No problem and I missed you too, Buffy."

I laughed at Christian; I really did miss him too. Dimitri led us over to the waiting SUVs and I asked "How long does it take to get to the compound?"

Three sets of eyes looked at me like I had three heads, "What?" I exclaimed.

Dimitri was the first to speak "Roza, we are already on the property. This compound has its own landing strip."

"What? Holy shit, that is soooo cool" I said. Dimitri shook his head at me and Lissa and Christian laughed at me. After a quick ride, we pulled up to the biggest house I think I have seen in my entire life. It looked more like it should have been the Moroi dorm back at St Vladamir's. The guardians in the car ahead of us deposited a group of guardians out and they headed into the building, I assume going to their floor to get settled in.

"Comrade, what about all our stuff?" I asked thinking I didn't want to live in these clothes for a few days before I had a change of clothes.

"In anticipation of needing to leave Russia, Pavel had a separate set of uniforms, workout clothes and casual clothes ordered and sent here. Any personal items that we may need, will be flown in when the next plane arrives. Because Abe has multiple properties, Pavel said it is easier to have belongings at each house, in case of emergency departures" Dimitri said.

"Which means you get to go shopping, Abe said he wanted you to decorate each of your residences and also buy clothes for each residence as well." Dimitri said and Lissa started screaming and jumping up and down.

I nodded my head at Dimitri and then I looped my arm with Lissa and said "Come on, let's check this place out."

I was already familiar with the layout since I had seen the plans while Dimitri was assigning rooms, but it had not done the justice that it deserved. We checked out the first floor which housed storage and laundry and then I started pulling Lissa to the stairs in order to check out the home theater in the basement.

"Wait till you see this" I said to Lissa. We opened the doors to the room and it was gorgeous. There were twenty seats covered in leather with cup holders for your drinks and they reclined almost to the point of lying flat. There were blankets on some of the seats, so you could curl up and the seats were huge, Dimitri and I could definitely share one seat.

"OMG" Lissa said with her mouth wide open.

"I know, movie night will never be the same" I said laughing at her expression. There was also a mini kitchen which had drinks, snacks, candy and a popcorn maker.

We climbed to the second floor, Dimitri wanted to make sure the guardians were settling in and to get a list started if there was anything they needed from the residence in Baia. I took the opportunity to introduce Lissa and Christian to Vika and Logan and I was so happy when they seemed to hit it off. It is always hard when you try to integrate friends.

Celeste and Yuri came out when they heard us and were happy to see Lissa and Christian and know that they were both safe. Dimitri invited Vika, Matt, Celeste and Yuri to join us for dinner but they declined but suggested maybe another night. I understood, it had been a stressful day for everyone and they had just wanted to rest.

The four of us climbed to the third floor and found the lounging rooms with sofas, TVs and chairs. It looked like a great place for the guardians to hand out and relax. Dimitri made the comment that this might be an ideal place for meetings with everyone.

As we hit the fourth floor, this wonderful aroma hit us and on cue, my stomach started to rumble. A woman approached us and introduced herself as one of the chefs. She said that unlike Russia, there was no main dining hall, each house on the property had its own kitchen and staff. She told us that once we were settled, that we could discuss meal options and whether we preferred to eat with the group or dine by ourselves.

Dimitri spoke up first and said "We will probably eat the majority of our meals here with the guardians, but on special occasions we might eat on our floor, but we will give you plenty of notice."

"Very well" she said "However, for tonight, I have a few chefs upstairs preparing your meal for tonight."

"Thank you" I replied.

Finally, we reached the top floor and the aroma of delicious food hit me again and my stomach growled on cue. Everything was as expected but on a larger scale. The living room couch seemed bigger as did the flat screen and the fireplace.

We walked into the dining area next to the kitchen, to find the table beautifully set for four people. The chef came over and introduced himself. He explained that we would be eating the same meals as the guardians downstairs: beef stew on mashed potatoes and black bread. Dimitri's stomach growled at that and I laughed at him as did everyone else. The chef informed us that dinner would be ready in about thirty minutes.

We walked down the corridor to the master bedroom. Dimitri opened the French doors that led into the bedroom. There in the center of the room was a huge king-sized bed. We looked around and found that the walk-in closet was full of clothes, almost duplicate to what was in Baia, but there were also a few new pieces that looked to be native to the area.

Next, Lissa and I walked into the master bathroom and both our eyes were bugging out. It was beautifully decorated with marble all over. The shower was huge, as well as the bathtub that had steps leading up to it, looks like we will be saving a lot of water when Dimitri and I shower together. There was also his and her sinks as well as a vanity for make-up and hair.

Lissa finally found her voice and exclaimed "Rose, this is gorgeous, I can't wait to do hair and make-up here. I slightly rolled my eyes as I had become Lissa's guinea pig for trying new hairstyles and make-up techniques. I got a glimpse at the guys, Dimitri had his mouth covered trying to hide his chuckle but Christian was out right laughing at my new guinea pig status.

The office was set up a little different then in Baia, partly because there was more room. On one wall, there were four desk areas with bookcases above and four lap tops at each desk area. Baba! He was my first thought that he had kindly set this up so that the four of us could do schoolwork together. I was excited to have Lissa's help in Moroi Studies again, it was definitely not my best subject. And there were four comfy chairs surrounding a coffee table and off to the side was a small bookshelf. On closer inspection I noticed it was full of western books. While they were not some of the originals that Ivan had given Dimitri, it was still a kind gesture on Baba's part so that Dimitri could continue reading his favorite books.

I looked over to Dimitri who was examining the books on the shelf and he had the biggest smile on his face, which made me feel like the happiest woman in the world. I will have to remember to thank Baba later.

At this time, my stomach grumbled its displeasure about the fact that I had not eaten any of the delicious food that I had smelled earlier.

"Come on Roza, let's get you fed." Dimitri chuckled.

"Lissa, Christian do you need feeders?" I asked worried since I was not sure when they had last fed.

"No, we're good" Lissa started "We fed right before you landed."

"Oh good, let's eat and then I will tell you everything that has happened so far" I said leading Lissa back to the kitchen.

They were still preparing dinner when we walked back to the kitchen. Dimitri said "Why don't you girls have a seat on the couch while I see when dinner will be ready".

Lissa and I went and sat in one corner of the couch and as soon as we sat down, Lissa launched question after question at me.

"Lissa, one at a time" I said.

"Sorry Rose, how are you and Dimitri?" Lissa inquired.

"So good, Lissa, I don't know how I would have gotten through this without him. I love him so much." I said.

"And he feels the same way?" Lissa carefully asked. I nodded my head and Lissa said "Well, then I am happy for the both of you."

Just then Dimitri came over carrying a beer and two glasses of wine and Christian was carrying a beer and a tray of snacks. Dimitri handed Lissa and I a glass of wine and he sat behind me and Christian put the snacks on the table and sat behind Lissa.

"So, what happened with Adrian?' Christian asked.

"You know how Adrian can dream walk?" I asked and both Lissa and Christian nodded yes. "Well, last night he dream walked me and I couldn't wake myself up, Dimitri had to wake me up. Then Adrian dream walked Vika, Dimitri's sister and he was rough with the both of us."

"Oh no, Rose, I'm so sorry" Lissa said.

"Thanks Lissa, after Adrian dream walked the two of us, we all realized that none of us were going to go back to sleep, so we went for our workout. Dimitri thought it would be a good idea to go into town for lunch to take our mind off of everything." I said as I looked to see that Lissa and Christian were following what I was telling them.

"Once we got to the town square, Adrian was there with the Royal Guardians and the Royal Jet to bring me home to Court with the Queen's blessing."

"What, I thought the Queen hated you" Christian said which caused me to chuckle.

"She does" I said.

Dimitri explained "Abe and Pavel think that the Queen's agenda is to kill Rose to break the bond with you Lissa and have Adrian bring her back so that Rose will be bonded with him and take away his darkness. This way Adrian can better help manipulate enemies of the Queen."

Both Christian and Lissa were shocked at Adrian's behavior, Lissa spoke up first "So, what happened in the square when he found you?"

"He kept trying to get me alone, probably so he could compel me, so I would go with him. Oksana and Mark, the shadow kissed couple that you met, charmed this necklace with Spirit and I think it helped. Oksana said that if you charmed one for me, it would be even more powerful since we are bonded." I said.

"Of course, we can shop for some silver and do it right away" Lissa said excitedly, probably because she felt she could finally help me.

"How did you get away from Adrian?" Christian asked.

"Baba suggested that we talk at the hotel nearby, since we were drawing a crowd. Adrian continued to try to get me alone, but when he realized that it wasn't working, he started threatening everyone" I said as I held back one big piece of information.

"How did Adrian know where you were?" Lissa asked.

I looked pleadingly at Dimitri; I just couldn't break Christian's heart. Dimitri cleared his throat and said "Tasha was in Baia with Guardian Andrew and supposedly she called Adrian to let him know where Rose was." Dimitri said as I grabbed his hand to give him support to say the next part.

"I'm sorry Christian" Dimitri started "According to Adrian, Tasha and Guardian Andrew turned themselves Strigoi."

We all watched Christian for his reaction, I can't even imagine what he was feeling. He abruptly stood up and took off toward the stairs. Lissa stood up and started to apologize and I said "Go Liss, make sure he's okay".

"Thanks, Rose" Lissa said as she raced after Christian.

I sat back against Dimitri as he put his arm around me and kissed the top of my hair. We heard footsteps coming up the stairs and we looked over expecting Lissa and Christian, but it was Matt and Vika. They sat down across from us and Vika said "We saw Christian and Lissa run out of the building; I take it he is upset about his Aunt?"

"Yes, after what happened with his parents, I think he feels betrayed. Lissa is with him" I said.

Just then the guardians that had been cooking came into the living area to let us know dinner was ready. "Have either of you eaten?" Dimitri asked.

"No" Vika and Matt both said.

"Come on, let's eat" I said as my stomach again voiced its displeasure after missing lunch.

Dinner was wonderful, of course after not eating lunch, my shoe might have tasted good. Dimitri and Vika told Matt and me stories from their childhood. I appreciated that they were keeping the topic of conversation light due to the events of the last 24 hours.

My phone started to ring and I took it out of my back pocket and saw that the caller id was Baba.

"Hi Baba" I said as I stood up and went to sit on the couch.

"Hey kiz, how are you doing?" Baba asked.

"Okay, how's Mom? Pavel told me that she broke her clavicle." I asked.

"She is okay, Oksana healed her. I think it is her pride that is hurt more. The Royal Guardian that she went after was able to throw her into the wall. Did you speak with Christian about his Aunt?" Baba asked.

"Yeah, he took off, Lissa is with him. I think he just needs some time. Are you and Mom heading here or are you going to stay in Baia?"

"Your mother is flying out tomorrow, I have a few business things to attend to and then Pavel and I will fly out in a few days. I can't wait to show you Turkey." Baba said.

"I would love that Baba. I feel we haven't really had any time to spend with each other." I said hoping I wasn't offending him.

"I feel the same way kiz, but once I get to Turkey, we can spend as much time together as you want."

"Thanks Baba"

"Have a restful evening, you have been through a lot in the past 24 hours. Until we get to Turkey, the head guardian is Guardian Durham, don't hesitate to contact him." Baba said.

"Okay, have a good night Baba" I said hanging up the phone. I rejoined Dimitri, Vika and Matt to see that dinner had been cleared and a chocolate dessert was being served. My eyes were as bugging out and I licked my lips as I picked up the spoon. I took a bite and let out this huge moan and I heard Dimitri laugh at me.

"Whatever, I am enjoying my chocolatey goodness" I said as I moaned again. This time everyone was laughing at me.

I was scraping the bottom of this dish to get out any remnants left behind and that is when Dimitri slid his dessert over to me.

"Thanks Comrade"

As we started clearing our dessert dishes, Vika pulled me aside and asked "Rose, can I talk to you privately?"

"Of course, let's go into the bedroom" I said as I gave Dimitri a look and pointed to the bedroom with my head. Dimitri nodded his head letting me know he understood.

I closed the door to the bedroom and Vika and I sat on the bed.

"Wow, this is awesome" Vika said looking around.

"Well, feel free to hang out whenever you want. So, what's going on? Are you okay?" I asked.

Vika took a deep breath and I could tell she was trying to hold tears back.

"Vika, what is it?" I was getting concerned.

"I know these necklaces are supposed to protect us from Adrian dream walking, but I am still freaked out from what happened last night" Vika said as a few tears fell down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Vika" I said as wiped away her tears. "Do you want to sleep up here tonight? I can kick Dimitri to the couch." I suggested.

Vika shook her head no "I was…..I was thinking if I stayed with Matt and he could wake me up if it looked like I was in distress." Before I could respond, Vika said "Never mind, he probably wouldn't want to He is probably not even interested in me other than as his student."

"Vika, I have been watching him interact with you, as well as how he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. Trust me, he is interested in you and he is probably just being cautious due to your freakishly huge older brother." I said as we both broke out in a fit of giggles.

"I think if you let Matt know that you are hesitant about sleeping because of Adrian, he will readily agree to watch over you."

"You really think so?" Vika asked.

"Vika, he slept on the couch when Adrian was threatening me because Matt wanted to protect you. I guarantee he will be happy to make sure you are safe, even in your dreams."

"Thanks Rose" Vika said as she gave me hug.

We walked out of the bedroom to find that Dimitri and Matt had cleaned the kitchen and were hanging out watching some TV.

"Everything okay?" Dimitri asked as he opened his arms to me.

"Yup" I said as I sat next to Dimitri and snuggled into his arms. Matt patted the space next to him and when Vika sat down he put his arms around her shoulders. I wiggled my eyebrows at Vika, which caused her to blush but I was so happy for her.

After about an hour of watching TV, it was apparent that we were all exhausted from Adrian's dream and live visits. So, Matt and Vika said goodnight and headed downstairs to the guardian's floor.

Dimitri and I walked into our bedroom and as we stripped off our clothes, Dimitri asked "Is Vika okay?"

"Yeah, she was just worried about Adrian's dream walking. Since she had never experienced it before, I think it just freaked her out."

Dimitri nodded as he lifted up the covers for me to get in and then he pulled me to his chest and kissed the top of my head. The last thing I heard was "I love you Roza".

Vika POV

Matt and I said our goodnights to Rose and Dimitri and once we reached our floor and I was standing in my doorway, Matt turned me to face him and asked "Vika, did you hear what I said?"

I started blushing and I looked at my feet trying to hide my embarrassment "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

Matt put his hand under my chin, lifting my face so that he could look me in the eyes. "I asked if you were okay" he said as he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. I shook my head no, I couldn't answer him because the tears were threatening to fall from my eyes.

"Are you nervous to sleep because of Adrian's ability to dream walk?"

I nodded yes as the tears fell down my face. Matt gently grabbed my face in both of his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that were falling. "Would you like me to stay with you tonight and if you seem to be having a nightmare then I can wake you up?" Matt asked.

"I don't want to impose on you" I said even though I desperately wanted him to stay with me.

"Vika, you wouldn't be imposing on me, I want to be the one to protect you." Matt said softly.

I nodded and then Matt gave me the sweetest kiss on my lips and he said "I'll be right back".

Matt went to his room and I turned around and entered my room. I changed into my comfy pjs, washed my face and brushed my teeth. Just as I walked out of my bathroom, Matt was knocking on my open bedroom door. He walked through and closed the door to my bedroom. Matt pulled down the covers and slid in on his back and patted the spot next to him.

I was nervous, I had never shared a bed with a guy before. I got in and Matt pulled me so that my head was resting on his chest and he pulled the covers around us. His arm that was on my back started playing with my hair.

"Thanks Matt, I really appreciate this. I know the necklaces are supposed to protect us, but that dream kind of fucked me up." I said.

Matt pulled my head up so that he could look at me in the eyes and said "Vika, there is nowhere in the world that I would rather be than right here. I really like you and I don't want to scare you, but I might be falling in love with you."

I couldn't stop the smile that was spreading across my face "I like you too".

Matt kissed my forehead and said "Sleep, I'll be right here for you". And with that I quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Settling In

I woke up to the sound of Dimitri's alarm and for once I didn't hit him thinking he was the snooze button. But Dimitri did the unexpected, he hit the snooze button and said in a sleepy voice "It's too early, want to cuddle". He turned on his side and pulled my back to his front, wrapping his arms around me, burying his face in my neck and said "that's better".

Thirty minutes later, we finally got up and took a quick shower. Dimitri shaved and we got dressed in cargo pants, boots, Dimitri had a long-sleeved shirt on and I chose a long-sleeved shirt and a hoodie. As we were dressing, I asked "What's the plan for today?"

Dimitri put his stakes in his holders and said "I want to check out the gym as well as the compound."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that Mom is flying in today and then Baba and Pavel will arrive in a few days and Guardian Dunham is in charge until Pavel gets here" I said.

"Okay, it will be good for both of us to meet him. I also want to check out Lissa and Christian's house and their guardians. Pavel suggested that since Celeste and I were Lissa's guardians that those guardians will fall under our team" Dimitri stated.

"Also, I want to have a debriefing with all the guardians" Dimitri said.

"What's debriefing?" I asked. I had heard the term before but I wasn't sure I understood exactly what it meant.

"After an incident, like yesterday, everyone gets together to discuss the events. You discuss what worked well and what didn't. It gives guardians a safe place to discuss the incident" Dimitri explained. "I am inviting Lissa, Christian and their guardians as well, since they dealt with Adrian and the Royal Guardians at Court. Plus, they had to leave abruptly to come to Turkey for their safety."

My stomach started to growl and Dimitri laughed and said "Come on, let's get you fed" as he pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head.

Dimitri and I went to the fourth floor and the majority of the guardians were already there. It was a buffet style and there was huge amount of food which was good since there were about fifteen dhampirs eating.

I took a plate and piled on eggs, bacon, hash browns, yogurt and then I saw them, my chocolate donuts and I grabbed two of them. Dimitri and I sat down across from Vika and Matt. The two of them had goofy smiles on their faces as they were quietly talking to each other. Vika looked at me as I sat down and I mouthed "later" to her. Dimitri came back to the table with two coffees and he placed one in front of me.

"Thanks, Comrade."

"Your welcome Roza" Dimitri replied and then he gave me a bowl of fruit salad. I rolled my eyes at him, trying to seem like it annoyed me but in truth, I loved that he was always looking out for me.

I dug into my food with gusto, at least Christian wasn't currently here to make some comment about the way I was eating. Dimitri started noticing that Vika and Matt were in their own little bubble. Dimitri turned to me raising an eyebrow. I shrugged back at him with a smile on my face.

I wanted to distract Dimitri from watching Matt and Vika, so I asked "Comrade, do you think the rest of your family is going to stay in Russia or come to Turkey?"

"If I had to guess, I think they would prefer to stay in Russia, but I am planning to call later today."

We finished eating breakfast and Dimitri stood in front of the group. "Good morning, I hope you all slept well last night. I wanted to go over the plan today. Everyone will have the morning off from training if you want. I want to check out the gym to see what is here and I will help set up workouts for tomorrow and then tour the compound. I want to have a debriefing on the third floor after lunch. If anyone needs anything or has concerns feel free to come to me or Guardian Dunham, who is in charge here until Pavel arrives in a few days. Any questions?" No one said anything and a few shook their heads 'no'.

Dimitri came back to our table and picked up his dirty dishes and said to Vika, Matt and me "Come on, let's go check out the gym."

The building that housed the gym was twice the size of the gym in Russia. We walked through the doors and I think all of our jaws dropped. It easily had to be the best guardian gym in the world. It had all the same equipment as the other gym, it was just newer and there were more pieces.

There was a weight room off to the side with machines as well as free weights. There were treadmills and bikes opposite of the weight room. There was an indoor track on the second floor similar to the one in Baia. But front and center of the gym were multiple sparring circles with the biggest one in the center. There were bleachers against the wall so I wondered if they had sparring competitions.

A guardian who looked to be about forty and was built similar to Dimitri, just not as tall walked towards us. "Hi, I'm Guardian Dunham, you must be Novice Hathaway and Novice Belikov" he said.

I shook his hand and said "Rose, please" and Vika shook his hand and said "Vika".

"And you must be Guardian Belikov and Guardian Logan. Pavel briefed me yesterday about your impending arrival, I'm sorry I was unable to meet with you but I was off the compound at the time. Let me give you a quick tour of the main areas you will be using. Obviously, this is the gym where you will spend most of your time. Most guardians workout early in the morning or late evening, so you will have the gym almost to yourselves during the day."

Guardian Dunham led us out of the gym and said "You have already seen your house. There is a path around the compound that people like to run, but unlike in Russia, it is surrounded by a ten-foot brick wall. It helps with strigoi but also fits in with the neighboring properties. This is the garage, there are a few retired guardians who maintain the vehicles. Just give them a few days' notice if you want to use one of the cars. The tall structure that you can see from here is your father's residence".

"And here is the house for Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera. They have four guardians with them split into two shifts. Pavel explained that since Guardian Belikov was previously in charge of her protection, that you will oversee their protection. I'll let all of you get settled but feel free to contact me if you need anything." Guardian Dunham said and then walked away.

"Vika and Matt, why don't you get a short workout while Rose and I check in with Lissa and Christian" Dimitri suggested.

"Okay, see you later" Matt said.

Dimitri and I walked up the steps to the house and knocked on the door. A guardian answered the door and introduced himself as Guardian Demir. He showed us to the kitchen where Lissa was sitting at the table and Christian was furiously baking. Lissa looked exhausted, I looked over at Dimitri who gave me a small nod and I said "Come on Lissa, show me around."

Lissa looked relieved and as we walked out of the kitchen, I heard Dimitri say to Christian "Okay, where can I help". God, I love that man.

Lissa and I went upstairs to her bedroom and she flopped down on her bed. I crawled on to the bed and laid down on my side next to her and I said "Talk". Lissa let it all out from Adrian's behavior to Tasha becoming strigoi.

"It's all my fault, if Christian wasn't with me, he would still have his Aunt. He would still be at St Vlad's and he would graduate and do whatever he wanted to" Lissa cried.

I hugged her and at the same time, I probed in her head and found that there was some darkness. I needed to talk to Dimitri before I took it away because I didn't want to hurt anyone like I did with Celeste.

"Lissa, none of this is your fault, you are not responsible for the actions of Adrian or Tasha. Christian loves you so much, every time I was in your head and Adrian or Tasha was threatening you, Christian always stood in front of you to protect you" I said.

"I know" she responded through her crying.

"Christian's a good guy, he just needs time to process everything that has happened. And you better not tell him I said he was a good guy" I jokingly threatened.

"Okay" Lissa giggled.

"Too late" Christian said as I turned around and saw Christian smirking from the doorway.

I turned back to Lissa and said "Great, I'm never going to live this down."

Lissa laughed, hugged me and whispered "Keep your mind busy for a while."

"My cue to leave" I whispered back and hopped off the bed and as I passed Christian, I said "See you Sparky".

"Bye Buffy" Christian said.

I went down the stairs and found Dimitri speaking with two of the guardians. He introduced me to them and then we walked out to head back to our room. We both started to speak at the same time and Dimitri said "Ladies first".

"How's Christian?" I asked.

"He's okay. He needed time to come to terms with what Tasha did and he didn't want to add more stress to Lissa. But he realized by being quiet he was making it harder for her. How is she doing?" Dimitri asked.

"She blames herself for Adrian's and Tasha's behavior" I started.

"But she's not" Dimitri interrupted.

"I know that and you know that but she has some darkness in her that is playing into her fears/depression" I responded.

Dimitri stopped waking and scrubbed his face and let out a big sigh. "Alright, we'll discuss this at the guardian meeting and set it up like last time, but you need to only take a little at a time."

"Okay" I said feeling a little flat. Dimitri put his arm around me and pulled me close to his body and we walked up to the fifth floor. I could smell food "I thought we were eating with everyone else" I said to Dimitri.

"That's what I thought" Dimitri responded. We walked into the kitchen and to my surprise, my mom was in the kitchen cooking with a few of the guardian chefs.

"Hey Mom, how are you?"

"I'm good Rosemarie, I was hoping that you and I could have lunch together, if you don't mind?" She asked a little nervous.

I looked quickly at Dimitri, he gave me a quick nod and a wink.

"Thanks Mom, I would love to have lunch with you" I said. I walked to the stairs with Dimitri, he turned to me and pulled me to his chest.

"Have fun with your mother and just come down to the common area when you are done."

"Okay" I said as I started to rise on my tippy toes to kiss him. Dimitri lowered his head and met me halfway. It was a nice gentle kiss, but he pulled back sooner than I wanted.

"I love you Roza"

"I love you too Comrade, see you in a bit" I responded. He gave me another quick kiss and then turned and went down the stairs.

I went back to the kitchen and I asked Mom "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, do you mind setting the table for us?" She asked.

"Sure" I went to the cabinets and got two placemats. Since it was the first time we were eating together, I kind of wanted to make it special. I got plates and silverware and placed two glasses of ice water next to our plates.

Mom turned around and said "I'm making some of your father's favorite Turkish dishes." She brought over two bowls of soup and said "It's called Ezogelin Corba, it has lentils, tomatoes and some spices."

I took a sip "This is really good"

"Thank you, Rosemarie, your father always liked to tease me because there is an old wives tale that a woman made up the soup to impress her potential mother in law. Of course, Abe didn't tell me this until after I had made the soup."

Mom shook her head trying to look annoyed but she had a smile on her face. I laughed at her expression and Baba's trick, maybe that's where I got my devious side from.

Next, we had Saksuka which has eggplant, zucchinis, tomatoes, garlic and chili. Mom started to discuss how she met Baba and the feelings that she had for him.

"I met your father when I was in Turkey with my first charge. We had all been warned to stay away from someone named Ibrahim Mazur. But your father being your father, did not tell me his real name the first night I met him. After we parted ways for the night, one of the other guardians had asked, why was I talking with Abe all night long."

My eyes were bugging out of my head because knowing my parent's temperaments, I knew this would not end well.

"I was so furious, so I called Abe and told him to meet me for dinner the next night. When I got there, I was so mad that I started pushing him around. I don't know how Pavel managed to stand his ground and not interfere, maybe he agreed that Abe deserved it."

Mom and I both laughed at that thought.

"But your father became very persistent, asking me to have dinner with him every night I was in Turkey and I finally gave in the last night I was in Turkey. It was magical, he set up this dinner on the rooftop overlooking the city. We stayed up all night talking. It was hard when I left with my charge the next day, but we talked over the phone almost every night after that. Then about three months later, my charge died of natural causes and your father invited me to stay with him for a while."

The guardians then brought out Mercimek Kofte which had lentils, onions, tomatoes and spices. I was definitely liking Turkish food and started think that Dimitri and I would need to go out to dinner to try more Turkish food.

Mom explained about her family, that her mother was a dhampir and her father was a Moroi as I expected. She said that while her father was not involved in her life, he did provide for them financially. She had two brothers and a sister. Her brothers, her sister and her all had the same Moroi father. Mom said she was the only one to become a guardian, her siblings had left the Moroi world in favor of the human world.

"Do you ever see them?" I asked.

"I try to see them when I can, but it has been about five years since I have seen them. But with Abe's help maybe we can see them or have them come here with their families."

"Wow, Mom, that would be great if we could work it out. I would love to meet Aunts, Uncles and cousins."

We talked about her getting pregnant and then the first four years of my life. She said Abe has the photo books somewhere here, so when he shows up, we can sit down and look at them.

"I would love to see them" I said as I only have a few pictures from St Vladimir's.

She apologized for sending me to the academy. Again, she said she thought it was the right thing to do. I told her that I had forgiven her and Baba. I wouldn't have met Lissa, Christian, Eddie, Mason and Dimitri had I not been at the Academy. I explained that I was here now and that we can start to build our relationship.

Mom stood up and gave me a big hug. I could feel water dropping on my shoulder. When she pulled back, she sat down and wiped her tears away. "Thank you, Rosemarie, I also wanted to talk with you about something first alone before anyone else heard."

"Okay" I questioned.

"Your father and I have been talking about my future. I am going to retire as a Guardian and your father and I want to see if we can rekindle our relationship. But we both wanted to make sure it was okay with you; you are our first priority."

"About retiring, if that's what you think is best than I think it's a great idea. And as for you and Baba getting together, I think it is a decision for the both of you to make. At this point, I want to build individual relationships with you and Baba but having a relationship with the both of you would be great as well. I'm sure from time to time we might have different opinions, the only thing that I ask, is that you ask me about it first and calmly listen to me." I replied.

Mom laughed a little "Okay, I promise to work on that."

DPOV

I kissed Roza and then I turned to go downstairs to the dining area. I was thinking that after a workout, Roza and I could take the night off. I thought maybe I could make her a nice romantic dinner.

I went to the kitchen and spoke with the head chef guardian and we planned a meal for Roza and myself. He said he would help me prepare the meal and would send a guardian to get the ingredients that we didn't have.

I thanked him and went to go get some food and I looked around the tables and found Matt and Vika sitting next to each other. I sat down across from them; however, it took awhile before they acknowledged that I was sitting across from them. They both had goofy smiles on their faces and Vika started to blush, I raised an eyebrow at her. I guess I would be talking with both of them sooner rather than later.

Vika asked "Where's Rose?" as she looked around the room.

"Her Mom flew in today and wanted to have lunch alone with her" I explained.

Vika nodded her head and I said "Actually, could you help me tonight? I wanted to plan a romantic dinner for her as a surprise. I thought that Lissa and you could help her get ready and keep her occupied while I get everything ready?"

"Sure, I would love too" Vika all but squealed.

We finished eating and we had about 45 minutes until the guardian meeting. I excused myself and I called Guardian Dunham to let him know about our meeting and I wanted him there because we were going to discuss the darkness and how we were going to deal with it. He agreed to come and help set up the plan.

I called Pavel and let him know that Rose was going to take Lissa's darkness tomorrow. Pavel said he would inform Abe and requested someone call him once the darkness was taken.

I then looked for Vika, I found her sitting on a couch in the rec area by herself, so I sat down next to her and asked "So, how are you doing with Matt?"

Vika started to blush and her smile got bigger.

I laughed at her "Well, I guess that huge smile on your face answers my question. I am glad that you are happy. Just make sure he treats you right and please come to me if you have any problems."

"I will Dimka. He makes me happy and he treats me well and looks after me and wants to protect me" Vika said.

"I'm glad, that's how you should always be treated. And I am happy that he makes you happy." I said as I stood up and gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"I'll see you in a little bit" I said as I left Vika to go find Matt. I didn't see him in any of the rec rooms on the third floor, so I headed to the second floor and found him in his room. I knocked on his open door and stood in the doorway.

Matt turned around and said "Hey Dimitri, did you need me?"

"No, I just wanted to talk with you for a minute" I said as Matt nodded and I closed the door. I sat on one of the chairs and Matt sat on the bed.

"So, what's up?" Matt asked.

"I just wanted to talk to you about Vika" I started as Matt opened his mouth to start talking but I put my hand up to stop him.

"I know we talked about you wanting to date her and I gave you my blessing. But I think it's obvious to anyone watching that what is happening between Vika and you is more than casual dating."

Matt looked down at his hands and said "Yes, it is. I really care about Vika and I think she feels the same way."

"She does, I just spoke with her prior to coming down here."

Matt lifted his head and looked at me, so I continued "I want to make sure that whomever Vika dates, treats her with respect, love and compassion. And also treats her as her equal."

"I understand where you are coming from. I want the same thing for my sister. I do care a lot for Vika and I promise to take care of her. I didn't expect this to happen when I accepted to be her mentor but now it just seems right." Matt said.

"I know exactually how you feel" I said as I stood up. Matt stood up as well and I shook his hand and said "I told Vika I was happy for the both of you and all I ask is that you treat her right. Otherwise, Rose will probably kick your ass." I laughed at the thought and so did Matt.

I left Matt's room and went back to the third floor to get ready for our debriefing and to see if Roza was finished with lunch.

**Sorry it took so long for an update, but I have been scheming and plotting. Hope everyone is safe out there and thanks for reading.**


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Debriefing

After finishing lunch with Mom, I went to the third floor to look for Dimitri. I checked in the different rooms but did not find him, but I found Vika sitting by herself on a couch.

"Hey Vika" I said as I sat down next to her.

"Hey Rose, how was lunch with your Mom?" Vika asked.

"Really good, she told me a lot about her family and how she and my father got together. Plus, she made some of Baba's favorite Turkish food and it was so good. We definitely need to go out to eat some night and try the restaurants." I said.

"That sounds like fun, do you think they will let us with everything that has happened with Adrian and Tasha?" Vika asked.

"I think so, maybe we could lunch instead of a dinner so we are not out after dark. Have you seen Dimitri?" I asked.

"Yeah, he was here a few minutes ago, I think he went looking for Matt" Vika said as she nervously bit on her bottom lip.

"Why, what happened?"

"When Dimka joined us for lunch, he was watching us. He came to talk to me to make sure that Matt was treating me well. Which he totally is, but I'm afraid that maybe he went to talk with Matt. I don't want him to scare Matt off, I really like him." Vika said as she looked down at her hands.

"Well, if Matt truly likes you, I'm sure Dimitri will be unable to scare him off. So, what happened last night? The two of you were in your own happy world at breakfast."

Vika looked around the room to make sure that no one was in ear shot. Vika started speaking softly "When we left last night to go to our rooms, Matt was talking to me but I was so worried about Adrian's dream walking that I didn't hear anything he said. Matt guessed that I was nervous to go to sleep, so he offered to stay with me all night and wake me up if it appeared that I was having a nightmare."

"Really? That's great Vika, I am so happy for you. Did he kiss you?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes, and it was so sweet and I loved sleeping in his arms. It was the best thing ever." Vika said with a huge grin on her face. "He told me that he really likes me, that he wanted to always protect me and that he thought he was falling in love with me."

I squealed and gave her a huge hug. Yes, Rose Hathaway actually squealed! "Vika, I am so happy for you. And don't worry about Dimitri, I'll make sure Dimitri gives the two of you space."

"Thanks Rose" Vika said as she hugged me back. "I am so glad Dimka found you."

I looked up to see the man himself walk in and smile at me "Speak of the devil"

"Hey Roza" Dimitri said as he gave me a quick peck on the lips. "How was lunch with your mom?"

"Good, really good. She told me about her family and about her and Baba meeting." I told him. "Vika was telling me about your earlier conversation, were you nice to Matt when you went to talk with him?"

"Yes, Roza, I was nice. I just reiterated that he needed to be respectful of Vika and that if he hurt Vika in any way, that you would kick his ass." Dimitri said laughing.

"Dam straight, I'll kick his ass" I said laughing as Vika laughed with us.

"Come on, let's get ready for the meeting." Dimitri said.

We went into the main area of the rec floor and some of the guardians were bringing out extra chairs and couches for everyone. Vika and I sat on one of the couches and shortly after that Matt came from downstairs and sat next to Vika. Dimitri was at the front of the room speaking with Guardian Dunham waiting for everyone to gather.

Lissa and Christin arrived with their guardians and Lissa and Christian sat together on a couch next to me. "How are you feeling?" I asked Lissa.

"A little bit better" Lissa said with some tears in her eyes.

"Liss, it's okay" I said as I stood up and went over to her and gave her a hug. "You have some darkness in you that is not helping. Just so you are not blind-sided, Dimitri is going to discuss a plan for me to take the darkness away tomorrow."

"Rose, I don't want you to do that, I feel bad" Lissa said with tears streaming as Christian tried to comfort her. "Maybe I should go back on my meds?"

"Why don't we wait until Baba and Pavel arrive and then we can speak with the both of them and the doctor here and maybe skype Oksana and Mark and we can come up with a plan." I suggested.

"Okay, that sounds good, thanks Rose"

"No problem" I said as I sat back down.

I saw Mom duck in the back of the room right before we started.

Dimitri started "I just wanted to meet with everyone to discuss the past few days events. First, I want to introduce Guardian Dunham, those of you who have worked for Mr. Mazur are probably familiar with him. For those who are new, Guardian Dunham is in charge in Turkey when Mr. Mazur and Pavel are not here. If you have any questions or problems, he is here to help or you can come to me."

With that said, Guardian Dunham sat down with the rest of the guardians. "I want to introduce some new members of our team. First, Princess Vasilisa Dragomir and Lord Christian Ozera have joined us from Court. They have been under Mr. Mazur's protection due to Lord Adrian Ivashkov's and Lady Tasha Ozera's actions and they arrived in Turkey a few days before us. They have been assigned four guardians while they are staying here in Turkey, Guardian James, Guardian Demir, Guardian Mills and Guardian Acar."

Each guardian stood up as they were introduced. "While they are the primary guardians of Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera from time to time there maybe adjustment in assignments, so I just ask if everyone can be flexible." Dimitri said as everyone seemed to agree. I was enjoying Dimitri's new leadership role and it was sexy as hell I thought as I winked at him.

"I want to thank everyone for your quick actions that allowed us to get Rose away from Adrian Ivashkov. And just to reiterate, Adrian is a spirit user, he can see people's auras which makes him able to tell whether you are telling the truth or lying. Mr. Mazur feels that because of this ability, the Queen is after Rose, so that she can become bonded with Adrian and take away his darkness. Then the Queen can use Adrian to further whatever agenda she has."

"Rose is bonded to Princess Dragomir currently and the only way to change that would be for Rose to die to break the bond and for Adrian to bring her back and create a new bond. It is only a matter of time before Adrian figures out where we have gone, if he doesn't know already. Plus, he has the protection of the Royal Guardians with him. Mr. Mazur has stated that we are allowed to use any force necessary in order to protect Rose." Dimitri paused as he let everyone process the information.

"Lady Tasha Ozera, Aunt of Lord Christian Ozera, and Guardian Andrews from St Vladimir's have threatened the lives of Princess Dragomir and Lord Ozera and Rose in order to get to me. Rose by compelling her to believe that Novice Castile and myself were a danger to her and she had two moroi students who were going to sexually assault her. Tasha Ozera was being guarded by four guardians and she killed them all and burnt down the cabin she was staying in. She threatened Princess Dragomir's life by demanding Rose and I go to her or she was going to burn the Princess with fire. Christian Ozera protected her until guardians arrived and were able to take her into custody.

"We have learned that Tasha Ozera and Guardian Andrews have turned themselves into Strigoi per Adrian. We currently do not have conformation, but we will act as if the information is true. She has training in martial arts and ran a studio in the human world. At that time, her skills were not at the level of a guardian, but obviously as a strigoi, she will be much more lethal. And Guardian Andrews is a well-trained guardian, he is a blood master three, so as a strigoi he will also be a lethal fighter"

"We also know that there are strigoi who are actively hunting Rose due to the fact that she killed two ancient strigoi in Spokane, Washington. It is unknown whether Tasha and Andrews may have teamed up with them, but that is something we must consider. And as I explained in Russia, there are still humans and Moroi who have threatened Rose due to Mr. Mazur's business dealings. Pavel or I will pass along updated information as we receive it."

I was starting to feel a little overwhelmed as I listened to Dimitri explain all the threats against me. Vika put her arm around me and gave me a side hug and then started rubbing my back as I watched Dimitri's face soften slightly before he continued.

"I feel the extraction of Lissa and Christian from their residence at the Palace to Mr. Mazur's residence at Court and then the extraction to Turkey was well executed. Does anyone have any suggestions or concerns?" Dimitri asked. Guardian James who was in charge at Court spoke up "I feel everything went well, Pavel had organized everything for us and I cannot think of anything we could have done differently." The other guardians as well as Lissa and Christian agreed.

"Good, and as for our interaction with Adrian in Baia, I feel it went as smooth as it could under the circumstances. Anyone have any suggestions or concerns?"

Guardian O'Brien spoke up "The only suggestion that I have looking back, is that maybe we could have sent a few guardians ahead of time to secure the square. I don't know if it would have changed the outcome, but we might have had a little more warning that Adrian was there."

"Thank you" Dimitri said "That is a great suggestion and I will keep that in mind next time we have an excursion."

Yuri spoke up next "I agree with O'Brien and I think if we had surveyed the church first, maybe we would have caught Tasha and Andrews or been aware of them being in Baia."

"Thanks Yuri, great suggestion. Anyone else?" Dimitri asked. The room was quiet but Dimitri then asked "Lissa, Christian, Rose, Vika, anything from your prospective?"

We all shook our heads no, I knew from the bond that Lissa was overwhelmed and so was I. Vika was lending me her support and I could see Christian trying to comfort Lissa, but with his Aunt involved it was getting to him too. I stood up and indicated to Dimitri I wanted to talk with him privately on the side.

"Excuse us" Dimitri said as he brought me towards the stairs. "What's up Roza, you okay?" he said as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Yeah, it's a little overwhelming, but Lissa is really struggling and I can tell Christian is too. Maybe we should let them go back to their place, Lissa doesn't really need to be involved in the planning of me taking her darkness. It's just going to make things worse."

"Your right, I noticed them getting tense" Dimitri called Lissa and Christian over as well as their four guardians. "Lissa, Christian, why don't you go back to your place and just relax for the rest of the day. We are just going to discuss training schedules."

"Rose said you were going to discuss the plan for taking the darkness away." Lissa said as I saw her eyes watering.

"Yeah Liss, but you don't need to be involved, we are just going to discuss sparring." I said to reassure her.

"Okay" Lissa said.

Then Dimitri surprised me and said "Roza, can I speak to Lissa alone for a second?"

"Umm, okay" I gave Lissa a hug and then went back to sit with Vika. I watched them and whatever Dimitri said to her made her smile.

Lissa, Christian and their guardians left and Dimitri came back to the group and said "The next thing that we need to discuss is a plan for Rose to take the darkness from Princess Dragomir. Just to remind everyone Lissa is a spirit user who can heal and is bonded to Rose, and when she uses spirit, darkness will build up causing her to become depressed. When Rose takes the darkness from Lissa, she tends to get angry."

"The last time Rose took the darkness we were in Baia and we set it up that she had four groups of guardians to fight and each group of guardians had two back up guardians. There were four retired guardians monitoring the sparing and would swap out the guardians as needed. Rose is less focused but her strength doubles and the goal is just to tire her out. Anyone who would like to volunteer, I put up a sign-up sheet and I would like all the Blood Masters to participate if possible. We will also have the doctor available for injuries and if we need to sedate Rose. We will be doing this slower than the last time because Rose took too much darkness at once. This time we want her to slowly take a little and burn it off and then take some more."

"Guardian Dunham if you could help assigning four retired guardians?" Dimitri asked and Guardian Dunham nodded.

"Let's plan to meet in the gym at 9am tomorrow morning. Unless anyone else has anything, they would like to discuss, then we are done." Dimitri said and nobody said anything and then everyone started getting up and going about their business.

Guardian Dunham came over to Dimitri and me and said "I spoke with Pavel after I spoke with the both of you this morning. I have set up the retired guardians and the doctor will be on stand-by. Just let me know if you need anything else." Dimitri shook his hand and then Guardian Dunham left.

Vika and Matt walked over to us and Dimitri said "I was thinking that Rose and I are going to work out and see if you wanted to come or you are free till tomorrow."

Matt spoke up and said "We had a pretty intense workout this morning, so I think we are just going to relax for the afternoon."

I wiggled my eyebrows at Vika when Matt said that but I made sure Dimitri didn't see me do it. "Okay, come on Novice Hathaway let's get changed."

"See you guys later" I said to Vika and Matt with a big smile on my face. Vika gave me a quick death look and I started laughing at her.

Dimitri and I got changed and went to the gym, it was about 2pm and there were a few guardians working out but for the most part it was empty. We started stretching and Dimitri asked me how lunch with my Mom was.

"It was really good, she made me some Turkish dishes that Baba likes and they were so good. We need to go to some restaurants around here and try some more food." Dimitri laughed at me because food is never far from my mind.

"Once your father and Pavel arrive, we can discuss venturing out as they will know the safest places and times to go. What did your Mom tell you about her family?"

"She has two older brothers and a sister, all of whom live in the human world and I have cousins" I excitedly told Dimitri. "She said that she was going to talk to Baba and set it up so either we can visit them or they can come here."

"That sounds great Roza, I am happy for you. Come on let's run for a warm-up and I want to discuss some changes that I want to make to your training."

"Okay" I said as we climbed to the second floor where the track was. "So, what changes do you want to make?"

"I want to increase our laps and our speed so that we can increase our endurance and Matt and Vika will be included as well. I want you and Vika to increase your weights slowly as well as your flexibility. I liked when we did the yoga the other day, I think it was beneficial. Pavel said there is a retired guardian who runs classes for the guardians and I was thinking we should attend classes three times a week."

"Yeah, I would like that, it felt so good when we did it." I responded.

"I spoke with Pavel while you were with your Mom and your father is hiring tutors for Lissa and Christian and then for you and Vika. He wants to get you through your schoolwork quicker, so that we can concentrate on training."

"That sounds like a good idea" I said "I hate the school aspect of it anyways, so the sooner it is done the better."

"Your father, Pavel and I all agreed that we need to step up your training and Vika's training as well. We are going to increase the number of sparring partners as well as group sparring events. And the last thing will be weapons training. Obviously stake training but also other weapons, which the Pavel will be instructing us all on."

We finished running and went to the weight room and Dimitri spotted me.

"I wanted to talk to you about something first to get your opinion and if you agree then we can talk with Pavel and Baba."

"Shoot" Dimitri said.

"Well, I think it is pretty obvious that I can't guard Lissa or anyone else, which is a conversation that I am dreading having with her." I said.

"No, I agree, you cannot guard her or anyone else. I'm sorry about that, but I can help with the discussion if you want."

"Thanks, I might take you up on that offer. Anyways, I have been thinking about our future over the last few weeks since everything that happened and I had an idea."

"Okay, what were you thinking?" Dimitri asked as we switched places.

"I was thinking that with your experience, maybe we could help Pavel and Baba out by training the new recruits that he hires?" I said cautiously.

"I was thinking along the same lines, as well as helping current guardians advance their training. And we should have a conversation with your father about what are his plans for his business in the future. Is he thinking that you would take over his empire, at least his legal ventures."

"Yeah, I should probably find out what ALL his businesses are." I said.

Dimitri smirked at that "Come on, let's go spar."

Thirty minutes and four takedowns later, I was straddling Dimitri with my hand over his heart saying "Dead!" Dimitri had the biggest smile on his face as well as a look of pride in his eyes.

"Very good Novice Hathaway"

"Why thank you Guardian Belikov. Do I get a reward for my hard work?" I asked while looking at him through my eyelashes.

"Maybe later, but I have a surprise for you first." Dimitri said.

"What is it? I love surprises!" I said as I was positively giddy at this point.

"Come on, let's go back to our room" Dimitri said as he got up off the floor and grabbed my hand and we started walking back to our room.

We got to the fifth floor and Dimitri opened the door and inside was Lissa, Vika and Celeste. "What is this?" I gasped.

"Well, they are here to help you get ready for a private dinner with me" Dimitri said with a little hesitation. Like I would ever say no to a date with him. I jumped up into his arms and as he caught me, I wrapped my legs around his waist.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you" I said in between kissing him.

Dimitri laughed "Your Welcome, I will come and get you when everything is ready. Enjoy!" he put me down and gave me a quick kiss and then he walked out of the room.

I turned towards the girls and I let out a very un-Hathaway squeal. Celeste started "Vika and Lissa go to the closet to pick out some clothes, I'll get your underwear and Rose go take a shower."

"Yes, ma'am" I said and Vika yelled "Ewe, I don't want to know what you are wearing underneath!" as the rest of us laughed at her.

I got in the shower, washed my hair, put conditioner in and then started to wash the rest of my body and shave everywhere needed. I got out of the shower and towel dried my body and then threw a towel around my hair. There was a black lacy bra and thong on top of a satin robe. I moisturized my body with my favorite scented lotion and put on my bra and thong then wrapped myself up in the robe.

I walked out of the bathroom and saw three options of clothing laid out on the bed and a cart with champagne and fruit and cheese platter, similar to when we were in Baia. Lissa handed me a glass, then we cheered and clinked the glasses.

"So, here are the three outfits we thought you might like" Lissa said.

I chose the navy-blue wrap dress because I knew Dimitri would enjoy taking it off later.

Vika said "Have a fun evening and Celeste and I will see you in the morning."

"Wait, you don't have to leave" I exclaimed.

"It's okay, Lissa can do your hair and make-up and we are going to go hang out with the guys." Vika said as I noticed a slight blush forming.

"Fine, but I want details later" I yelled as they went out the door.

Lissa and I went into the bathroom and I sat down at the vanity as Lissa started drying my hair.

"So, we haven't really talked since we went shopping. How are you doing with everything?" Lissa asked.

"It's been a challenge, so much has happened, but Dimitri has been my rock. I hope that you can start to see him as my boyfriend and not just a guardian."

"I feel bad that I have been wrapped up in my own world, that I didn't notice what was happening between the two of you." Lissa cried.

"Liss, it's okay, you're here now" I said.

"So, have you two…you know?" Lissa asked.

I felt a slight blush creep up my neck as I remembered our first night together. "Yes, and it was wonderful. He just always seems to know what I need."

Lissa squealed in my ear "I'm so happy for you" as she gave me a hug from behind. "Okay, let's get you ready for tonight."

As Lissa was doing my hair, she only pulled the sides back and held then with pins, then she let the rest of my hair down and put big curls in. I told Lissa about our first night and some other times, she occasionally asked questions. I admitted to her that while I had enjoyed every time, we still hadn't been to adventurous.

"Just talk to him about it, ask him what he likes. Christian and I agreed we give different positions a try and if one or both of us didn't like it then we didn't do it again. You just need to be open with him." Lissa said.

"Yeah, your right, that's what he said to me in the beginning." I paused before I said "I'm sorry that you won't be allowed back at Court, but I can't lie that I am so happy that you're here."

"Yes, it kind of sucks about Court, but I'm glad I am here with you as well. The only thing is I was hoping to go to college at least. Christian has been helping me look for other colleges to attend or to see if there are any colleges that I can do online." Lissa sadly stated as she was working on my make-up.

"Alright you're done."

I looked in the mirror and I gasped "Lissa, thank you, it's looks so beautiful."

"Dimitri won't know what hit him" Lissa joked while wiggling her eyebrows. "Come on, let's get your dress and shoes."

I walked into the bedroom and took off my robe and put on the wrap dress and my strappy high heel shoes. Lissa poured more champagne and gave me a glass.

"To tonight" Lissa said and we clinked glasses. I took a sip and then there was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Lissa asked.

"It's Dimitri, is Rose ready?" he asked.

Lissa opened the door and then slightly hid behind it so that Dimitri would only see me. Dimitri's jaw drop as he looked me up and down. His gaze was so intense that it started stirring something deep inside me. I looked down and then I looked up at Dimitri through my lashes.

"You look beautiful Roza" Dimitri whispered as he closed the gap between us. He took my face in both of his hands and gave me the sweetest and slowest kiss. "

Dimitri was wearing black jeans, a whit button up shirt that the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. "Comrade, you look very handsome." I said.

Dimitri said "Thank you Roza". "Are you ready for dinner?"

"Yes" I said and he took my hand and looped it thru his arm. Lissa was still at the door with a big smile on her face, she said "Have fun tonight and don't worry Rose, I will clean up everything."

"Thanks Lissa, you don't have to." I stated.

Lissa responded "Don't worry, it's no problem." I gave Lissa a quick hug and whispered "Thank you".

Dimitri led me out to the kitchen and the table was beautifully decorated with white roses and white candles on a pale blue tablecloth. There were two place settings at the end of the table and one just to the side. Dimitri pulled out the chair on the side for me and helped me push it in.

**Thank you for the reviews, I love reading them. I hope you are still enjoying the story. **

**Stay safe!**


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Romance

After Dimitri pulled out my chair and I was seated, he sat down in his seat. He pulled out a bottle of wine and poured some into both of our glasses. He held up his glass and said "To Us", I repeated what he said and we clinked glasses. I took a sip of the white wine, it seemed to have a little of a fruity taste to it. I liked it but I knew I had a very limited knowledge of wine. Whenever we were drinking at St. Vladimir's it was usually beer or hard liquor as the goal was to get drunk, not appreciate the taste.

"Roza?" Dimitri questioned.

"Huh" I responded.

"Are you okay? You sort of spaced out for a few minutes, is Lissa okay? Did you get pulled into her head?" Dimitri asked as he looked at me with concern.

"Sorry Comrade, no I wasn't in Lissa's head, I was just thinking back to the days at St. Vladimir's when we used to drink."

"Ahh, I see. Are you ready for the first course?"

"Yes, of course, it smells so good" I said as my stomach decided to declare its presence.

Dimitri laughed and stood up, went into the kitchen, he came back with two bowls of what looked like a red soup. "So, I made you some Russian food, this is Red Borscht, it has pickled red beets, seasonal vegetables in a short rib and bacon broth with dill and sour cream on top."

"Dimitri, thank you, I love that you made me some Russian food." I said as he placed the bowl in front of me. I started eating the soup and I moaned "Comrade, this is so good"

Dimitri smiled "I am glad that you like it".

"I love it"

"So, how are feeling since this afternoon's meeting?" Dimitri asked.

"Well, it was overwhelming hearing about everyone that is after me. I realized you needed to inform everyone but it started to make me nervous." I said quietly.

Dimitri reached over and grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips and said "I'm sorry Roza, you are right, I needed to let everyone one knows about the threats. I was always open with Ivan; I think it is better when you are better informed. Pavel and I spoke about it and he is the same way with your father but know I will always be here for you."

"Thanks Comrade."

"How was Lissa when she was helping you get ready for tonight?"

"She was good actually. We are both happy that she is here and we can be together. We talked briefly about the possibility of not being able to return to Court. But she did say that Christian was helping look at other colleges and possible some on-line options."

I had finished the Red Borscht, so he took both bowls back to the kitchen and started plating some more food.

"Oh, before the meeting, I told Lissa that you were going to bring up about the darkness. She said that she was considering going back on her medications. I told her that we should talk with Baba, Pavel and the doctor when they arrive in Turkey."

"That's a good idea Roza. It might be beneficial to you if she on her medication, there will be less darkness for you to take and maybe you won't be pulled into her head." Dimitri said as he came back from the kitchen giving me a plate of food that looked mouth-watering.

"This is Beef Stroganoff; it is a red wine braised beef with thick noodles in a creamy mushroom and black truffle cream sauce."

I took a bite and I moaned while I was eating it because it was so good. I was impressed by Dimitri's cooking skills.

"Roza, you can't moan like that, it does things to me." Dimitri said with a thicker accent than he normally has.

I giggled "Sorry Comrade but it so good. I can't believe you can cook like this."

"Thank you, mama taught me. By the time I was thirteen and growing and eating everything in sight, she started teaching me so I could help her."

"Well, remind me to thank her since I now get to reap the benefits of her teaching." I said.

"I will" Dimitri boasted and smiled.

"Dimitri, I am not sure how to say this, but how should we prepare for our future?" I asked. "I've been thinking about it."

"Me too" Dimitri said as he grabbed my hand. "We can discuss it more when your father and Pavel arrive and thing settle with school and Lissa. I have spoken a little with Pavel in terms of schooling we talked about getting tutors for you and Vika. The goal is to get the two of you through your schoolwork quickly and concentrate on combat. But we can talk more later let's enjoy our date. Are you finished with this course?"

"Yes, thank you."

Dimitri took our plates to the kitchen where I noticed there was one guardian who was helping him and was washing dishes. He came back to the table with another yummy looking dish.

"This is Chicken Kiev; it is an herb butter stuffed chicken breast with Yukon mashed potatoes in a light mushroom sauce." Dimitri said.

I took a bite and of course I moaned because it was so good. I looked up at Dimitri who was looking at me with lust in his eyes. I just shrugged my shoulders at him.

I started thinking about my earlier conversation with Lissa about my sexual inexperience. I didn't realize that I was staring at my food and not eating. I must not have heard Dimitri either because the next thing I knew, he put his finger under my chin and guided it up so I could look at him.

"What is it Roza?" Dimitri asked.

"Nothing" I said as Dimitri raised an eyebrow at me. I so hate that he can do that. Dimitri waited for me to continue "I was thinking… I…was wondering…".

"What Roza, you can say anything to me." Dimitri said as he took my hand and was rubbing the back with his thumb.

"Are you happy …. Sexually? I mean I know that you have a lot more experience than me." I said as I was rambling and starting to get flustered.

Dimitri put his finger on my lips "Yes, Roza, I am happy. What is bringing this about?"

"I just wonder if you want more."

"Remember what I said before we were intimate at the hotel? You need to be open with me and tell me what you like and don't like."

"Yes, but I worry that maybe you are not being open with me?" I shyly asked.

Dimitri took a minute and then said "You're right, I might be holding back a little, but only because this is new to you and I didn't want to push you. But you're right, I should take my own advice."

Dimitri leaned in and gave me the sweetest kiss and even after he pulled back, I kept my eyes closed but a big smile graced my face.

"You are so beautiful" Dimitri whispered. "Are you ready for dessert?"

"When am I not?" I laughed at him.

Dimitri brought out two pieces of chocolate mousse cake. I noticed that the guardian had finished cleaning up the kitchen and had left our floor. I picked up my fork and took a small piece of cake and ate it. I closed my eyes as I was savoring the taste and I couldn't help the moan that escaped my mouth.

"Roza" Dimitri moaned with a thick Russian accent, which when I heard him say Roza it went straight to my core.

"Sorry, not sorry" I said to Dimitri "It's so good. I opened my eyes to find Dimitri intensely starring at my lips. "Comrade, you haven't tried any yet."

He just kept staring at my lips, so I took my fork and cut another piece and I lifted it to his lips and he leaned forward and closed his mouth around my fork. He closed his eyes and then he moaned and said "Oh my God, this is good."

I laughed at him as I took another bite. I ended up alternating between him and me until I ran out of cake. He then picked up his fork and cut a piece of cake and brought it to my lips. I closed my mouth around the fork and moaned as my lips pulled away from the fork. Dimitri took a deep breath and said "Careful Roza".

"Why Comrade? What will happen if I am not careful" I said as I raised both of my eyebrows since I am the only person who can't raise just one.

"You'll find out later." Dimitri said as he took a bite for himself. He then lifted the fork towards me but just as I was about to take a bite, he pulled the fork away.

"Dimitri" I said frustrated at not getting a piece of cake. I tried to give him my best angry face but when I saw him smile at me, I couldn't help but laugh. He finally brought the piece of cake to my lips and I took the piece off the fork. I moaned as I ate the piece just to mess with Dimitri and then I licked my lips when I saw that Dimitri couldn't stop looking at my lips.

Soon we were down to the last piece, I looked at Dimitri as he looked at me. He held out the fork for me and I closed my mouth around the fork, closed my eyes as I enjoyed the last piece moaning the entire time. I opened my eyes when I heard the fork hit the plate.

"You have chocolate on your lip" Dimitri said reminding me of the incident with the brownies at St Vlad's. He slowly leaned into me and whether I had chocolate on my lip or not, I didn't care, I just needed him. He slowly licked my lower lip and that lit the fire in me, I needed him now.

"Dimitri!" I said as I crashed my lips onto his and I climbed into his lap straddling him. He grabbed my hips pulling me closer to him as his hands slide under my dress. Dimitri lightly bit my lip causing a small gasp and he took the opportunity to slide his tongue in. We were battling for dominance until we needed to break apart to breathe.

"Roza" he said while gently biting my lower lip. Dimitri stood up with me in his arms. My hands went around his neck and my legs went around his waist. He started walking toward our bedroom when he stopped and he pushed me up against the wall.

Dimitri ground his hips into me and he started kissing me on my neck. I reached up into his hair and pulled out the tie holding his hair back. As he ground his hips into me again, I pushed my core down on him at the same time. It resulted in both of us groaning.

I took advantage of the fact that he was holding me up against the wall to move my hands from his hair to his chest and I started unbuttoning his shirt. Dimitri pushed off the wall and he had one hand cupping my ass and another on my back supporting me, so that I could continue to unbutton his shirt.

Dimitri carried me through the door of our bedroom and then he kicked the door closed with his foot. Dimitri set me down on the bed just as I finished unbuttoning his shirt.

"Roza, you are so beautiful" Dimitri said as he pulled off his shirt. He looked down at me and I saw the point when he realized how my wrap dress was being held together.

In what seemed like slow motion, Dimitri's hand reached out and grabbed the string on my dress and began to pull. As my dress unwrapped and the lingerie hidden underneath was revealed, I heard Dimitri gasp "Roza".

I gave him a come-hither motion and as soon as he was in reach, I pulled him to me crashing my lips to his. I was lightly scratching his scalp as he began kissing up my jaw line. When he reached my left ear lightly licked the outline of my ear then bit my lobe. Multiple things happened because of that action, my hips bucked up against him, I moaned, Dimitri moaned, he bucked his hips into me causing my thong to become soaked.

"Kiss me" I said as my hands went up his neck and to his hair as I guided his mouth to my mouth. Dimitri kissed me passionately while one hand went between my back and the dress, the other went to ass. Dimitri was still kissing me when he lifted me up and took my dress off, leaving me only in my bra and panties. He then unhooked my bra and threw it across the room.

Dimitri placed me back down on the bed and he hovered over me and started kissing my neck.

"Comrade, you are wearing too many clothes" I moaned as my hands reached down in between us and I undid his belt, popped the button and zipped his pants down. I put my hand inside his pants and I was not disappointed. I grabbed his shaft and was slowly putting pressure on it as I was moving up and down slowly. Dimitri was groaning at my action as he continued kissing my neck, I knew I was teasing Dimitri as I was not giving him enough stimulation. While I had Dimitri distracted, I flipped us over so that I was on top.

"Roza" my Russian god growled. My only response was a smirk on my face, let's face it, if Dimitri wanted to, it would not take him much to flip us back, but I think he curious as to what I had in store for him.

"Comrade" I responded as I kissed down his chest paying particular attention to his nipples which were hard. I could tell that he was enjoying my actions as he was digging his hands into my hips that I am positive that I will have bruises tomorrow and he was panting.

I continued down to his abs which were sculpted as if it was chiseled by Michelangelo himself. When I found the V at the base of his abdominal muscles and I started licking towards my prize, his breathing picked up. On my second pass from the other side, I finally had to remind Dimitri to breathe, because I was afraid he was going to pass out on me.

"Relax Comrade, let me take care of you" I said as I looked up from beneath my lashes. I saw him give me a nod as I assumed he was unable to come up with a coherent word as I could tell all his blood was pooling below the waist.

I continued licking and kissing till I came to the place where his boxer briefs were peeking through the open zipper of his jeans. My hand went to his hips so I could pull down his jeans. Dimitri helped me by lifting his butt. I pulled them all the way off and threw them in the direction of the hamper.

I started kissing up his right leg and I saw Dimitri up on his elbows watching with a look of love with a mixture of lust. Once I got to the lop of Dimitri's right leg, my hands went to his boxer briefs. Beside the huge bulge in his boxer briefs, there was an area of wetness, my man was ready for me.

I hooked my fingers in his briefs and slowly pulled them down, I looked up to Dimitri who was still perched on his elbows and saw that his eyes were almost black with lust. His panting was picking up in anticipation of what was to come and his hands were fisted in the bed sheets.

I slowly pulled his briefs down and once I reached his thighs his cock sprang free. I continued my torture down his leg. When I reached his feet, I pulled them of an threw them in the vicinity of the clothes hamper as well.

Then I started kissing up his left leg, once I reached his cock, I looked up at Dimitri whose fists were tightly gripping the bed sheets.

Here was my moment of truth, I licked him on the underside of his cock until I reached the tip. I decided to take him in my mouth, not everything, just past the tip and I sucked as my tongue circled around his cock.

"Ye-bat" Dimitri groaned as his hips bucked slightly towards me and his hands were fisting the bed sheets, I was almost afraid they would rip.

"Comrade, I am not made of glass"

"I know …..panting ….are you sure … you want to do this?"

"Yes, I have never done this before and I want to try it."

"If you are sure, you don't have to".

"Do you want me to?" I asked already knowing the answer. He nodded yes repeatedly probably because he was incapable of thought.

I let instinct and Dimitri's response take over. I slowly brought my lips down his shaft and then on the way back I sucked as hard as I could. I continued this until I reached a point where I could no longer take him any further down my throat without gagging.

I had no idea exactly what Dimitri was saying in his native tongue but I could guess based on his intonation and his gasping.

Dimitri lightly grabbed my hair holding it and rubbing between his fingers. I could tell he was holding back since he knew I had no experience and was allowing me to do as much or as little as I wanted.

I looked up at him and saw he had his eyes closed and he appeared to be enjoying what I was. I grabbed his balls in one hand and lightly pulled on them. Dimitri groaned and started speaking in his native tongue again. He only switched to English to say "Roza, I'm about to cum, if you don't want me to do it in your mouth, it's okay."

I was curious so I took in as much a of him as I could and sucked as hard as I could and soon, I had the evidence of my hard work. No pun intended. He didn't taste like I thought he would, not that I would know but it was definitely something I would do again especially since it brought him such pleasure. I probably would never have done it on any other guy but for Dimitri, I would.

I watched as he recovered and once, he was able to breathe normally again, I watched the most beautiful smile grace his face. He looked down at me and pulled me up to his chest and said "You are the most amazing person in the world"

"So, you liked it?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes" he exclaimed as he kissed me passionately. He pushed me back gently so I was now resting on my back and said "How about I return the favor?"

He pulled my thong off and then he spread my legs apart as wide as they would go. I was almost shaking from the anticipation of what was to come.

"Roza your soaked, is this because of what you did to me?" he asked.

"Mmm hhhmm" I answered as he lightly blew on my most intimate area.

"Fuck" I said as my hips flew off the bed. One of his arms came across my abdomen to keep me in place as he started licking me. I knew I wasn't going to last long; I was too excited and Dimitri knew that as well. Thankfully he didn't tease me, he just went straight for my orgasm.

As soon as my orgasm hit, he flipped me over onto all fours and entered me from behind giving me the longest orgasm I have had to date, which wasn't saying much.

Dimitri continued even after my orgasm abated. He gave me a minute or two and then he reached down and started stimulating my clit. It didn't take long for either of us to cum again.

We both collapsed on the bed and Dimitri pulled my back to his front, kissed my hair and just before I fell asleep he said "I love you Rose Hathaway, one day I am going to marry you."


	36. Chapter 36

Surprise, Surprise, this is the second chapter I am posting tonight! I felt they needed to be separated. Enjoy!

Chapter 36: Adrian's Compulsion

_I woke up in a park at Court and I could smell the familiar scent of cloves. Dam it! I was in a spirit dream and just after I had the most romantic date ever with Dimitri._

"_What do you want Adrian?" I yelled._

"_Little Dhampir, you know what I want." Adrian said as he appeared in front of me._

"_You're not going to get me, so just let me go and end this spirit dream." I spat at him._

"_I will in just a bit, but first I have a surprise for you." Adrian smirked. He looked over to where the park met the forest and I followed his gaze. I gasped as I saw Tasha walk out with red eyes and everything that is associated with a strigoi._

"_Tasha?" I questioned because I couldn't believe what I was seeing._

"_Hello Rose" Tasha spat out. "How's my Dimka?" She asked in a sickly-sweet voice as she came to stand right in front of me._

"_Dimitri, he's good. Last night he set up a very romantic dinner for us where he cooked me Russian dishes. Then he made love to me over and over. I lost count how many times he made me cum." I said._

_Tasha slapped me across the face but it was so worth it. I reached up for my necklace for security, I knew Tasha couldn't compels me but Adrian might try to. I reached all around my neck and I couldn't find it. Fuck!_

"_Missing something?" Adrian asked. _

_Shit, god I hope Dimitri will be able to wake me up quickly. I launched myself at Tasha because I figured we are in a spirit dream so she couldn't really hurt me. I knew she had some martial arts skills and I expected her to use them. _

_What I didn't expect was Adrian to get involved as well. I guess he figured he couldn't get hurt either._

_The three of us tumbled around and I quickly got taken down to the floor. Tasha eventually got behind me and immobilized my head. _

_Adrian looked at me and said in that sweet voice "Rose, you are in love with me. Dimitri and your parents are holding you against your will. Tell me where you are?"_

"_I'm not sure, I am at my father's house in Turkey" I responded._

"_Roza" I heard Dimitri start to call me and I started to panic._

"_Rose, you're waking up, you need to get away from Dimitri. I'm on my way, try to get to a land line and call me and then we can pinpoint your location." Adrian said as he started to fade away._

"Roza, wake up!" Dimitri said.

I woke up and opened my eyes and Dimitri was on top of me. "Get off, Get off, Get off!" I screamed.

Dimitri got off of me and I ran into the bathroom and locked the door. I wrapped myself in a towel and sat on the edge of the tub sobbing.

DPOV

I woke up to Roza thrashing. Great, another spirit dream. I thought we had prevented those from happening. I started shaking her shoulders and calling her name over and over. "Roza, wake up!"

Her eyes opened and she stared at me in terror and she yelled "Get off, Get off, Get off."

I got off of her and she ran to the bathroom and I heard the lock click.

Fuck, I got off the bed, I threw on sweatpants and a t-shirt, I grabbed my phone and I called Lissa and Vika. I unlocked our bedroom door and I started pacing back and forth. Vika and Matt were the first to arrive and I explained what happened.

Vika's eyes went to our bed and she said "Her necklace, it's on the bed, it must have fallen off."

Dam necklaces always getting us in trouble. Vika grabbed the necklace and she started towards the bathroom when Lissa and Christian walked in. I explained the story again and I gave Lissa some clothes for Rose. Lissa and Vika called for Rose, she unlocked the door and let them in. I sat down on the bed and put my head in my hands.

RPOV

I heard a knock at the door and I went to it and asked "Who's there?"

"It's Lissa and Vika" Lissa said.

"Just you?" I asked.

"Yes" Lissa said.

I unlocked the door and opened it just enough so that Lissa and Vika could get in and then closed the door and locked it. Lissa handed me my clothes and I quickly got dressed.

"Lissa, you have to help me, I need to call Adrian, so he can come and get me." I said in a panicky voice.

Lissa sat me down on the edge of the bathtub and took my hands and said "Rose, look at me" then in a sweet voice laced with compulsion she said "Rose, Adrian used compulsion on you in a spirit dream. Your necklace fell off last night so he was able to pull you into his spirit dream. You are in love with Dimitri."

Vika walked over to me and said "The clasp was broken but I think I fixed it".

"Thank you, guys," I said as I hugged both Lissa and Vika. "I'm so sorry to have bothered both of you."

Lissa responded "What are sisters for?" as she hugged me back.

I opened the door to the bedroom and the first thing I saw was Dimitri sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. He looked up as we walked out of the bathroom and I had never seen this expression on his face, he just looked helpless. I walked everyone out thanking and apologizing to Matt and Christian for them having to come over in the middle of the night.

I locked the door after them and then I walked over to Dimitri who still had his head in his hands. I crawled onto his lap and said "Sorry, I'm so sorry."

"There's no reason for you to feel sorry." Dimitri pulled me to his chest and wrapped both arms around me tightly. He spoke very softly "You were thrashing around and I tried to wake you. Then when I was finally able to wake you…you looked…the look on your face…you just looked so scared of me."

I had never heard Dimitri struggle to say something or be at a loss of words like this and it was breaking my heart. "I'm sorry Dimitri" I took a deep breath and continued "Tasha was also in the spirit dream and she was strigoi. I started fighting her since it was a dream and figured it would help me wake up or alert you. But she got the upper hand and she immobilized me, then Adrian was able to use compulsion on me."

Dimitri rested his forehead on mine and said "I hope I never see that look on your face again."

"What can I do? I asked.

"Just let me hold you?" he asked.

"Nothing would make me happier." I crawled up the bed and got under the covers and lifted his side for him. Dimitri climbed in and pulled me to his chest and tucked my head under his chin. At some point we both fell asleep.

I woke up sometime later and I could feel Dimitri's limbs around me and his breath on my neck. I couldn't move even if I wanted to. One arm was securely around my waist and the other was under my body and firmly across my chest. He had one leg hooked in between my legs effectively pinning my lower body down. His face was in my hair at the back of my head and neck.

"Comrade?"

Nothing

"Comrade" I said a little louder.

Nothing

"Dimitri" I half yelled as I tried to wiggle myself free, which only caused him to tighten his grip.

"Belikov"

"What?" he said as he raised his head looking for any sign of danger.

"Do you think you are going to let me go any time soon?" I asked.

"Sorry Roza" he said as he released his grip a little so I could turn around and face him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, still a little freaked out" I said "Vika fixed the clasp but I think we should still have it looked at. How are you?"

"Okay, I guess, but don't worry I'll be okay." he said.

"Comrade, I will always worry or be concerned about you because I love you." I stated as I gave him a kiss.

"And that is one of the things I love most about you Roza." Dimitri said. "Do you want to take Lissa's darkness today or do you want to hold off?"

"No, I definitely want to take it" I said as I watched his face drop.

"Don't worry I will take it slowly as I can, I promise. She needs the darkness taken away and it will help me if I don't have to worry about her. And as soon as Baba get here, we can discuss her going back on her meds." I explained.

"Alright, let's get dressed and go downstairs and have some breakfast." Dimitri said. The fact that he wasn't in a playful mood concerned me, but unfortunately, I needed to devote my energy towards Lissa right now.

We got dressed in workout clothes and then Dimitri started to pack a bag with towels, water and Gatorade. God, I loved this man!

"Ready to go?" Dimitri asked bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yup" I said as Dimitri shouldered our bag and grabbed my hand and led me to the third floor.

It was around 7 am and the food area was crazy busy. We went to get our food and then located Vika and Matt at the table and sat down. Dimitri went to get drinks while I spoke with Vika and Matt explaining I was okay and apologizing profusely for waking them up last night.

I told them that I had threaded a sturdier necklace thru the infinity symbol with the original chain just to give it a more secure feeling.

Dimitri returned with juice, water and coffee for him and hot chocolate for me. I had kind of hoped for a coffee too and as always Dimitri was able to interpret my subtle body language and said "Sorry Roza, but with the darkness you will be taking, you really don't need the caffeine from the coffee. But I brought you donuts instead."

Dimitri sat down and started eating and I could tell he had something on his mind. I kept giving him side glances. Finally, he cleared his throat and said "Vika, I was curious as to why when I called you to come up to our room last night, that both you and Matt both came up."

I was looking straight ahead at Vika and my eyes were bugging out and my fork with my food stopped halfway to my mouth with what Dimitri had just said. I could see both Matt and Vika both began to blush.

"And the fact that Roza's fork has stopped halfway to her mouth, leaves me to believe that she is aware of what is going on."

Shit, shit, shit.

Thankfully for Matt, he spoke up and said "Well, in all honesty, I have been staying overnight with Vika because she has been concerned about Adrian's spirit dreams. So I told her I would stay with her and if she started to appear to be in distress, I would wake her up" Matt took a deep breath after realizing that Dimitri wasn't going to kill him on the spot and he continued "And while I appreciated the concern, Vika is almost 18 and is capable of making her own decisions, especially when it comes to her personal love life."

My fork had not moved and I glanced between Matt and Dimitri waiting for something like Dimitri murdering Matt before any of guardians could intervene. But to my surprise and utter shock Dimitri said "Okay, please take care of her, like she is the most precious person that she is."

I turned to Dimitri and said "What have you done with Dimitri Belikov"

"I am taking your advice and supporting her and being a safe place for her to land should she get her heart broken." Dimitri turned to Matt and growled "You will not break her heart, will you!" and before Matt could respond I said "There's the Dimitri Belikov I know and love."

We all laughed at that, Matt then said "I have no intention of breaking her heart because 99% of cares deeply for Vika and 1% is scared that Rose will kick my ass."

With that, all four of us broke out into laughter after a bit, we were able to dig into our food.

To my surprise Lissa and Christian walked into the mess area and made their way to our table. "Hey Lissa, Hey Fire Crotch." I said with a sly smile.

"Buffy" Christian said.

Lissa exhaled an exaggerated sigh letting us know she was annoyed with both Christian and my behavior.

"Anyways, Christian and I already want to the feeders and wanted to see how you were feeling and if you were still planning to take away the darkness and I totally understand if you don't want to."

"Yes, I am going to take your darkness slowly and burn it off because with Adrian and Tasha out there, I need you to be at 100%." I said.

"Okay, do you want us in the gym with you?" Lissa asked.

I looked to Dimitri because I wasn't sure what he had set up.

"If you're willing, it might help Rose if you can put your walls up to limit the amount of darkness that Rose takes at a time." Dimitri said.

"Great" Lissa said. I could tell from the bond that she was excited to be able to help.

We all walked to the gym together and to my surprise my mother was here. She walked over to me and asked "Rosemarie, can I talk with you?"

Dimitri said "I'm just going to get everyone set up, take your time."

"I just wanted to let you know that your father and Pavel are on their way here and should be landing within the hour. And I wanted to see how you are feeling about taking the Princess's darkness?"

"Um okay, Lissa's going to try helping me by blocking me, so I can't take too much darkness or at least we will see if that works" I said biting my lip, something was nagging me in the back of my head but I couldn't figure out what it was. But I needed to take Lissa's darkness before I could figure it out.

I walked over to Dimitri; he had the four groups of guardians each with a retired guardian ready to go. Lissa, Christian and my mother were sitting on the bleachers and Vika, Matt and the doctor were off to the side.

"I love you Roza" Dimitri whispered in my ear as he pulled me into his chest and kissed the top of my head. When he pulled away, he said "Whenever you are ready."

I watched Dimitri walk over to his spot on the mat and he gave me a slight nod letting me now he was ready.

I looked at Lissa and she nodded at me. I closed my eyes searching for our bond. I found the bond and the darkness, but I found something else. I was assaulted with images and thoughts of why she did not like me or events she blamed me for things like her chances of becoming Queen. And it had nothing to do with her darkness. I opened eyes and looked at Lissa and she had a look on her face that I could only described as smugness.

I looked at Dimitri who could tell something unexpected had happened as he stood up out of his fighting stance and began to take a step towards me. But I bolted for the door, I didn't want any of the guardians to see me cry.

I didn't know where I was going, I just ran.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Adapting

I ran out of the gym as fast as I could. I had no idea where I was going but I needed to get away. I could hear Lissa laughing through the bond and it was fueling me to get away. I could hear Dimitri shouting at me to stop and it's not that I was running away from him, but I didn't want the guardians in the gym to see me cry.

I just kept running until I saw two guardians coming out of a side door and I bolted past them through the door. I heard them protest, but as I ran up the stairwell, I heard a deep voice apologizing behind me and a single set of footsteps following me up the stairs.

For someone who was about a foot taller than me and had 100lbs of more muscle on them, Dimitri was rather light on his feet. Probably something I needed to work on as my footsteps echoed loudly in the stairwell.

I reached the top of the stairs and pushed through the door marked emergency roof exit. As soon as I opened it an annoying alarm went off, but I didn't care, it drowned out Lissa's laughing through the bond.

Once I felt the sunlight on me, I dropped to all fours. I was panting from sprinting up seven flights of stairs, I was crying because of Lissa and I was screaming at the top of my lungs because of Lissa and let me tell you doing all three at once was not a pretty sight.

Dimitri who was right behind me, grabbed me and pulled me into his lap cradling me and speaking softly to me. Once I began to settle down, I heard Dimitri speaking with someone and I had noticed that the rooftop alarm had silenced as well as Lissa's laughing in my head.

One trait that Dimitri possesses that I do not is patience. He never asked me anything, he just held me, kissed me and talked softly in English and Russian. He knew I would eventually tell him what was going on so he just waited until I was ready.

After what seemed like hours later but in reality, it was probably about thirty minutes, I took a deep breath and said it a quiet voice "Sorry Comrade".

"What happened?" he said as he stroked my hair.

" I reached out to Lissa through the bond to find the darkness, but I was bombarded with these images and thoughts where she blamed me for everything that has happened to her from her family dying to her not becoming Queen."

"I'm so sorry Roza" Dimitri said wrapping his arms around me even tighter if that was even possible.

After about another ten minutes of him holding me he said "Your father and Pavel landed about fifteen minutes ago, so I am sure they will be here soon." Dimitri warned me.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear" Baba said. He walked over to where I was and knelt in front of me "Hey Kiz, what happened? Are you okay?"

I nodded my head.

"I am afraid I am only going to make it worse. Let's go to the fourth-floor study and we can talk okay?"

"Okay" I said as I started to stand up from Dimitri's lap. It was day's like this that I was so thankful that Dimitri was in my life, but I also worried that someday it might be too much for him.

"It's gonna be one of those days where you are going to need your big girl panties on" Baba said jokingly trying to lighten the mood.

Trying to muster up some Rose bravado, I said "What if I'm not wearing any panties?"

I watched as a murderous look came over Baba's face, I could hear Dimitri softly swearing behind me and could tell he was pinching the bridge of his nose wondering if he was going to live past the next 30 seconds.

Then about two seconds later, I heard it clear as day from the door. Pavel let out this maniacal laugh that I couldn't help but join in. We both had tears falling down our faces, it was probably the best thing that could have happened.

Pavel and I had finally been able to get ourselves under control when Baba said "If the two of you are done, may we continue to the study?"

I have no idea why but it started another fit of laughter from Pavel and me. Dimitri threw me over his shoulder and said to Baba "I got her, he's your problem."

"I strike fear into the hearts of humans, dhampirs, moroi and strigoi but my personal guardian and my daughter laugh in my face" Baba stated.

My emotions were all over the place, I didn't know if it was because of Lissa or what, but I had resigned that I would get through today no matter what.

We walked into the fourth-floor study and Dimitri put me down and guided me to a love seat. I sat down and looked around. It was all white with color accents throughout the room, it was actually quite pretty and it looked out over a garden in the compound.

"I have always loved this room" I turned to see my mom standing next to me looking out the window. "How are you feeling Rosemarie?"

"Um, I don't know" I said honestly "I am upset with Lissa and Baba said there was more bad news coming."

"Yes, we have more bad news but don't worry, your father loves solving problems and he is good at it." She put her arms around my shoulders and said "Just remember, everyone in this room loves you and we are all here to help you."

"Thanks Mom" I said trying to keep the tears in my eyes from falling down my face. She let go and walked over to where Baba and Pavel were standing. I noticed at this point there was a spread of food but before I could even take a step towards it, Dimitri was at my side with a plate of food, water and two shot glasses.

Dimitri handed me one of the shot glasses and said "It's vodka".

"Really Belikov, I don't think our 17-year-old daughter needs alcohol right now." Mom said.

"Relax Janine, I told Belikov to give her a shot, I am sure she's done worse on campus or when she was on the run." Baba said looking at me and raising one eyebrow. Seriously, was I the only one in the entire world who could not do that.

I took one of the shots from Dimitri, he had the other one and we clinked glasses. Dimitri threw it back like it was water, but when I threw it back, I winced as it went down and started a coughing fit due to how strong it was. Dimitri laughed as he patted me on my back. Once I had settled down, he handed me a plate of food and said "Eat" as he sat down next to me with his own plate of food.

Once everyone was sitting, Baba started "Rose, why don't you explain what happened this morning with Lissa."

"Well, when I went into her head, I found the darkness to take but I also found all of these thoughts and images as to how she blamed me for everything in her life from her parents and brother dying to her not being able to becoming Queen. And as I left the gym, I could hear her laughing at me through the bond." I said as Dimitri took my hand lending me his support and comfort.

"After you left the gym, Rosemarie, Christian and their guardians left and brought her back to their house." Mom said.

"Pavel, call the doctor to go over to check on the Princess to see if this is due to darkness of if she's had some outward influence." Baba said as Pavel pulled out his phone to text the doctor.

"Okay Kiz, we will investigate more to figure out what is going on with her." Baba said as he looked over to Mom giving her a nod to continue.

"Rosemarie, Alberta called me this morning. There was a Strigoi attack at St Vladimir's two days ago." Mom said.

"What!" I exclaimed as I brought my hands up to cover my mouth. Dimitri instinctively pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

Baba continued "No one is sure why the attack happened, they do know that some Moroi were practicing near the ward which caused the wards to be weakened and ultimately breaking allowing the strigoi to breach the wards. However, it is extremely odd for that many strigoi to be congregating around a school in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention, strigoi are not known for working in groups."

"How many?" I asked as my voice trembled.

"Ten guardians were killed along with five Moroi teachers. Five moroi teachers, ten moroi students and eight novices were taken." Mom relayed.

Tears started to fill my eyes as Dimitris grip became stronger on me as he kissed the side of my hair speaking softly.

"Who?" I asked trying to prevent my self from crying and having a breakdown.

"The only person's name that Alberta gave me was Novice Castile." Mom said.

"Eddie" I squeaked out as the tears started to fall, I couldn't lose another friend, not today.

Mom quickly continued "Novice Castile was one of the hostages and was found unharmed by the guardians and moroi teachers who went on a rescue mission to the caves near campus where they suspected they were holed up."

I blew out the breath I was holding and relaxed my shoulders a little. "Your mother spoke with Alberta and since the reason for the raid is still under investigation it was decided that Novice Castile would be safer here under our care. Just in case the raid was related to you Rose. My guardians who remained at Court are flying to campus to pick him up and bring him here."

"Thank you, Baba," I cried as I launched myself at him. He caught me and pulled me into a tight hug and kissing my hair. "No problem Kiz." Again, I noticed a scent that seemed to be coming from Baba, maybe cologne or aftershave that had an affect of instantly relaxing me. I again pondered if it was possible that I was remembering his scent from when I was younger.

Pavel continued "Belikov, I think that there is still space in the guardian quarters on the second floor, so I think we will put Castile there. We hope to have the tutors for the novices tomorrow as well as for the Princess and Lord Ozera. Why don't you speak with your team and see if anyone is interested in mentoring him as well."

Dimitri agreed to Pavel's suggestion and I went to sit back next to Dimitri.

"Rose, why don't you and Belikov go back to your suite and relax for rest for the morning. And then continue training after lunch. Eddie won't be arriving till early tomorrow morning. Your father and I will be stopping by to check on the Princess and will give you updates on her." Pavel stated.

Dimitri stood up and put his hand out for me to help me up. "Thank you Baba, Mom and Pavel for everything" I said.

"Yes, thank you" Dimitri said.

"Rose, we are all here for you, whatever you need" Baba said as he gave me a hug. My mom came and hugged me as well. Then Dimitri led me out of the room with the hand that he was still holding.

Once we got outside, Dimitri led me to a bench lining one of the paths around the complex. He pulled me to sit down next and he put his arm around my shoulder pulling me close to him and kissing my temple.

"Talk to me Rose" Dimitri said into my hair.

I shrugged my shoulders "I just feel numb" I said looking down at my hands. "I can't lose anyone else. Mason, almost Eddie and who knows what is wrong with Lissa."

"Can you sense anything from Lissa?" Dimitri asked.

"No, I have my barriers up, it's just too much right now." I said leaning into his chest.

"It's almost lunch time, why don't we go up to our floor and find some movies to watch. I'll go get us some food from downstairs and if you are up for it, maybe Vika and Matt could join us?" Dimitri suggested.

"Do I get to choose the movie?" I asked with a smirk on my face.

"Yes" he sighed, probably slightly afraid of what I might choose.

Dimitri and I parted ways on the third floor, he went to get food and find Vika and Matt and I continued up the fifth floor and got comfy on the couch and looked through the on demand to find a good movie.

About ten minutes later, Dimitri, Vika, Matt, Celeste and Yuri came up the stairs into the living area with a mountain of food.

"I informed Celeste and Yuri about what happened at St Vladimir's and they offered to mentor Eddie." Dimitri said as everyone arranged a feast of food on the table in front of the couches. I had already gotten plates, napkins, utensils and drinks.

Ten minutes later, we all had plates piled high with food and had started watching a comedy that was recently released. It was hilarious and was probably the best thing to take my mind off today's events. I was relishing being in Dimitri's embrace surrounded by dhampir's, something that I never thought would be possible. Their presence, even if they didn't realize it, seemed to be giving me strength. It was something Lissa could never give me and something she would never understand either.

Once the movie was over, we started to clean up when Dimitri's phone rang.

"Belikov" Dimitri answered. He just listened to the caller, not giving us any idea who it was and what they were saying. "Okay, I will let her know."

We all looked at Dimitri waiting for him to inform us about his conversation. "That was Pavel, they checked on Lissa, according to Christian she has been acting weird since this morning. The doctor sedated her until they can figure out what is happening. Your father has sent for Mark and Oksana to come and see if they can help. Pavel said he suspects maybe some type of compulsion through dream walking but not sure if it is Adrian and Tasha or someone else."

I nodded at what Dimitri said and asked "Do you think I should try to reach out through the bond and see what is going on?"

"No!" Dimitri said a little to harshly. "I don't want you in her head until we can figure out what is going on. Let's go for a workout and then we can check in with Christian later." I hadn't even thought about Christian and what he was probably going through. He lost his parents, his Aunt turned and now Lissa seemed to be going off the deep end.

We all walked into the gym and it was busier than I had ever seen it before. Probably due to the hour, as we were not usually in the gym at this time and the other guardians on our team were working out since we never got a chance to train earlier.

As we approached, a few guardians came over to Dimitri, to inquire what the plan was, but Dimitri just told them to continue their workout as we were going to work as a small group.

We all started stretching and Dimitri started speaking "Vika, Rose, things are going to start to get a little more intense around here. I have a pretty good idea of Castile's ability from helping with classes at St Vlad's but there is much more we need to work on for the three of you."

I looked at Vika and noticed her silently groaning as she probably realized that we were going to be hurting over the next few weeks.

"By the look on your faces, I think you know where I am going with this. First, we are going to work on our endurance, meaning we will be increasing our laps and speed. And as Roza demonstrated earlier, we are going to start stair drills." Dimitri said as I groaned while I hung my head down.

"I am also going to increase your weights and repetitions. My goal is not to bulk either of you up too much but I do want to add some muscle weight on you. The strength that strigoi's have can throw you around like rag dolls and any little bit will help. In terms of sparring, we are going to start adding in multiple opponents. Rose, I know you have had a few opportunities, but that was mostly spirit darkness driven. And then lastly, we will be working on staking and other weapons. Castile should be here tomorrow, so workouts are going to be longer and more intense."

"As Pavel and your father explained, a tutor should be here shortly, so that we can get all the class work out of the way so we can concentrate more on combat. Abe and Janine have already spoken with Alberta and she has agreed to the accelerated course work, so yes Roza that means no more sitting through Stan's lectures." Dimitri said.

"Yes!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I started jumping and dancing all over the place. Yuri and Celeste started laughing at me while the rest of the gym looked at me as though I had lost my mind.

"Alright, enough celebrating, let's run laps." Dimitri said.

We went up to the second-floor track and ran a few warmup laps, then Dimitri explained that we were going to run two normal laps then sprint two laps until we finished 20 laps. The one thing I loved about Dimitri teaching was he was always right there working out with us instead of watching from the sideline. He would stop if we needed to adjust our workout technique, but otherwise he was right there with us.

By the time we finished running, I was drenched with sweat. While I knew Dimitri was doing this for our protection, I knew these next few weeks were going to be hell.

Our group went to the weight room, Dimitri and Yuri spotted each other and Celeste, Vika and I spotted each other. Dimitri started writing on the white board our weight and repetition number, so that we could increase each day.

Next, we went to the mats, Vika and I immediately collapsed to the ground. I had forgotten that Dimitri used to workout with me at St Vlad's, but then he would always do his own workout later.

"No, off the floor" Dimitri started "You'll feel worse, walk around a little." He went to the refrigerator and pulled out some Gatorade for all of us. "Sip it slowly" he said as he handed the bottles to Vika and me. "If you gulp it down at this intensity, you'll throw it right back up."

Dimitri gave us a five-minute break and then gathered us back to the mats and showed Vika and I two new moves. Once he felt that we had it down, we practiced it against Matt, Celeste and Yuri.

We split into our normal pairs and started sparing. Sadly, Dimitri owned me every time and I think it was the same for Vika with Matt, but we had just completed a much more intense workout than normal. Once we were finished, Celeste led us in a yoga style stretch and cool down that felt so good.

We went back to our rooms, showered, had dinner and then I told Dimitri that I wanted to check on Lissa. We walked over to the cottage her and Christian were staying in silence. I didn't know what to expect when Dimitri and I got there, but Mark and Oksana must have landed by now. I knocked on the door and one of the guardians let us in.

Lissa was on the couch looking like she was sleeping. Christian had her head in his lap and was softly running his fingers through her hair. I don't think I had ever seen him so scared. Baba, Pavel, Mark and Oksana were all there as well. Baba motioned for us to follow him and Pavel to the kitchen.

"Oksana thinks it would be a good idea to let Lissa rest tonight and keep her sedated and then in the morning, the doctor will slowly decrease her sedation and try to get some answers." Baba informed me.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Not right now" Baba said. "Why don't you go get some rest, Novice Castile should be here around 4 am."

I nodded and Dimitri said "Keep us informed" and he led me out of the cottage and we headed back to our room. Fatigue was starting to set in from the day's events plus our intense workout and I knew Dimitri could tell.

"Come on, let's get some rest" Dimitri suggested. I nodded and once we reached our room, I just started shredding my clothes and climbed into bed without even brushing my teeth or washing my face.

I could hear Dimitri chuckling to himself as I was vaguely aware that he was picking up my clothes off the floor. I barely registered him climbing into bed next me and him pulling me to him.

I woke up sometime later to kisses on the back of my neck and Dimitri softly calling my name. I opened one eye to find that it was still pitch black in the room. I started to snuggle deeper under the covers when Dimitri said "Roza, it's 4 am and Eddie should be landing soon, I thought you might want to go meet the plane."

"Yes" I said as both eyes opened. Dimitri reached behind him and flicked on one of the lamps behind him on the dimmest setting but it was still too bright. I sat up and tried to look around, but I could only open one eye at a time.

I got out of bed and headed to the closet as Dimitri followed me. "Dress warmly Roza, we are in the desert, so the temperatures drop at night."

Dimitri was much faster at getting dressed than I was, mostly because I still couldn't open both eyes at once. Hey, it's no secret that I am not a morning person. Dimitri left me getting dressed and went out to the kitchen. When I finally made it out there, I noticed that Dimitri was in the kitchen and Celeste and Yuri were walking into the kitchen the same time as I was. Yuri took one look at me and laughed at my inability to still open both eyes at the same time.

Dimitri had four travel mugs out, three containing coffee and one with hot chocolate, how could you not love this man. We all headed towards the airstrip and when I noticed that Yuri and Celeste were a little bit away from us, I whispered to Dimitri "Why are Celeste and Yuri here?"

Dimitri stopped and turned me towards him allowing Celeste and Yuri to continue on. "You wouldn't remember, but Eddie had a really hard time after Spokane and Celeste and Yuri were there for him and they are worried about him since he was taken for a second time. That's why they both volunteered to mentor him, but Roza, I have to warn you, even experienced guardians sometimes don't recover from multiple strigoi kidnappings."

My eyes widened as I looked at Dimitri "I had no idea" I whispered. "I should have known; he was as much as Mason's best friend as I was."

Dimitri reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and said "All we can do, is be here for him. I think part of the reason Alberta pushed for him to come here is to lessen the pressure of being a guardian."

"Oh God, Comrade, I had no idea."

"I know, Eddie didn't want you to know, he was afraid that if you knew he was having a hard time, plus Mason's death and Lissa's darkness that it might push you over the edge." Dimitri said as he wiped a traitorous tear that fell down my face.

"I think being surrounded by guardians away from school will help him, but we will see what happens."

"Thanks Comrade" I said as I jumped into his arms.

"Don't thank me, this is all Alberta and your parents doing."

Just then we started to hear the familiar sound of a plane getting closer and closer.

**Thank you for all the reviews, I love reading them and I appreciate you taking the time to read my story. I hope you are staying safe out there and being kind to one another.**


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Eddie

It touched my heart that Yuri and Celeste had gotten up in the middle of the night to come with Dimitri and I to meet Eddie's plane. It just demonstrated how much they cared because let's face it, guardians did not do this for the money. Celeste, Yuri, Dimitri and I all walked over to the where we could see other guardians waiting to help with the plane once it landed. I was leaning back into Dimitri soaking up his warmth and he had his arms around me as we all watched the small plane touch down effortlessly. We waited patiently as it made it's way over to the hangar, once the plane came to a stop, one of the guardians on board opened the door to the plane which released the stairs. A few guardians with their standard duffels came out and then I saw Eddie at the top of the stairs.

Eddie paused at that top of the stairs and was looking around as if he had just arrived in the land of Oz. "Eddie" I screamed and he immediately located me giving me one of his best smiles as he descended the stairs. Even from this distance, I could see some bruises and cuts on his face. My heart sank thinking what he had been through in the last few days. I left Dimitri's embrace and ran over to Eddie and leapt into his arms as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Rose, it's so good to see you." Eddie said as he gave me a big bear hug. I started to pull away slightly but could feel that Eddie was not letting me go. I also thought I could feel a little wetness on my neck where his head was buried. I continued to hug him giving him time to compose himself. I knew Eddie well and knew he would not want the guardians to see him cry even though it was understandable after everything he had experienced.

I could sense Dimitri behind me when I felt Eddie's hand come up to his face to wipe his tears before releasing me from where I was shielding his face.

"Castile" Dimitri said as he shook his hand and brought him in for man hug.

"Belikov, how are you?" Eddie asked.

"Good, thanks for asking." Dimitri replied.

"Hey Castile!" Yuri said clapping Eddie on the back as Eddie turned and noticed Celeste and Yuri for the first time. "This is where you guys are, nobody knew where the two of disappeared to. And speaking of disappearing, where are we?"

"In Turkey at my father's house." I informed Eddie.

"Come on, we will explain everything" Dimitri said as he put his arm around me, giving me some of his warmth and started to walk back to our building. I caught Eddie's surprised expression as he watched Dimitri being affectionate towards me.

By the time we got back to our building it was almost 5am, so we decided to go to the 4th floor and we grabbed some breakfast and took it upstairs so we could talk in private.

Once we were situated, Eddie fired off questions "Rose, where are we? What's going on? Why are you all here? And why am I here" and so on.

Dimitri started "Castile, Alberta called Rose's mother after the attack at school to let her parents know what was happening on the off chance that the attack was related to Rose in some way. It was Alberta's suggestion for you to come here for Rose's safety and your safety until they figure out why the academy was attacked."

"Okay, but where are we?" Eddie asked.

"We are at my father's house in Turkey. He is kind of a mobster and very rich. He has houses all over the world and we were in Russia until just recently when we had to move here." I informed Eddie.

"As you know, Rose's parents came to get Rose because there were threats against her because of her father's business dealing and because of Spokane. Celeste, Yuri and I all agreed to protect Rose along with 15 other guardians." Dimitri said.

"Shit Rose, you have 18 guardians?" Eddie exclaimed as I nodded. "Yes, apparently there are humans, morois and strigois who are after me including Adrian and Christian's Aunt Tasha."

"Oh, yeah I forgot about Tasha, but why Adrian?"

"Adrian has been getting angrier and angrier with Rose, demanding to know where she is and threatening her if she doesn't go stay with him at Court. We think Adrian is after Rose because of the spirit darkness and like Lissa has Rose to help, Adrian is by himself. We think that Adrian wants to kill Rose to break the connection with Lissa but then heal her so she can be connected to him." Dimitri said.

"And unfortunately Queen Tatianna is supporting this idea, we think the Queen wants to use Adrian's ability to see auras to give her a political advantage. So Rose's father had Lissa and Christian flown for their protection." Dimitri said.

"We were in Baia up until a few days ago when we ran in to Tasha there and she informed Adrian where we were and confronted us with the Royal Guardians with the purpose of kidnapping and brining me back to Court." I continued.

"However, yesterday morning Lissa had some sort of episode, so she is currently sedated while we are awaiting the arrival of another spirit bonded couple we met in Baia to see if the can help us."

"Wow, is it due the darkness?" Eddie asked.

"Maybe, I was going to take her darkness yesterday, but when I went into her head she had all these thoughts about how she blamed me for her familiy's accident and not being able to become Queen. And when I looked over at her she just started laughing in her head at me, so I kind of ran out of the building." I said as I looked down.

Dimitri put his arm around me and pulled me closer to him and said "So the short part of the story is that Lissa and Christian are being tutored here, Rose, my younger sister Vika and now you, will be tutored in an abridged version of classes so we can spend the majority of time on combat skills."

"I am leading the team as well as continuing as Rose's mentor. Guardian Matt Logan is mentoring my sister and Celeste and Yuri have agreed to mentor you. The building that we are in is all Rose's, this floor is Rose's personal residence, the 4th floor is the kitchen and the third floor is a lounge area. The second floor are all guardian dorms, which is where you will stay and the first floor and basement are laundry, miscellaneous stuff and a movie theater." Dimitri finished.

"Wow, seriously? I am never leaving!" Eddie joked and I laughed with him.

"Eddie, there is something I need to tell you as well. Dimitri and I are together. He's my primary guardian but he also my boyfriend and both my parents approve, otherwise I am sure my father would have made him disappear off the face of the earth if he didn't."

Eddie and I laughed at that but I could tell Dimitri was worried that it could still happen at anytime. "Lighten, Comrade, I'll protect you from my mobster father and kick ass guardian mother."

"It all makes sense now Rose, why you are the way you are." Eddie laughed. Yuri, Celeste and Dimitri joined in on the laughter as I tried to give Eddie a stink eye and I elbowed Dimitri in the stomach but I soon joined in the laughter.

"As much as I would love to sit around and talk, we do need to train today." Dimitri said, turning to Eddie he continued "Eddie, how are you feeling after your traveling? Do you need to sleep or are you up for a workout?"

"I am good for a workout. I slept on the plane."

"Okay, Celeste and Yuri can show you to your room on the second floor and then we can show you the gym." Dimitri said. "And Eddie, please feel free to come to any of us if you want to talk. It's difficult being kidnapped twice by strigoi."

"Thanks" Eddie quietly responded.

"And Eddie, feel free to come up here anytime you want, Vika and Matt hang out here all the time." I said.

"Thanks Rose. Alright, let's see my new room and the gym." Eddie said as Celeste and Yuri started leading him down the stairs.

Dimitri and I headed to our room to change in to training gear when Dimitri started "Rose, you know Eddie the best out of all of us, plus you were in Spokane with him. Let us know if you see any behavior from him that concerns you, so that we can intervene and help Eddie cope."

Again my heart swelled with love for Dimitri "Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me. With Mason dying, Eddie is one of my oldest friends."

Dimitri and I entered the gym and I saw Guardian Brown fighting with another guardian using sticks. Dimitri and I were watching intently when Pavel walked up to us. "Hi Rose, Belikov."

"Hey Pavel" I said as Dimitri nodded his head at him.

"How is Castile?" Pavel asked.

"He's doing okay, I think he might still be in a little bit of shock but we told him we are all here for him and Celeste and Yuri are going to mentor him." Dimitri explained.

"Good, Rose your father and I spoke and we wanted to start teaching you how to use different weapons. We brought guardians who are proficient in their skills. The whole team will be trained on weapons where they are lacking experience. Guardian Brown is one of the guardians we brought over to show you how to use sticks in martial arts." Pavel said.

"Oksana and Mark should be here by 1pm, we'll bring them up to your suite and discuss any spirit related issues before we go over and see the Princess." Pavel said. Dimitri and I nodded and then Pavel left to attend to other business.

Just then Eddie walked in with Celeste and Yuri. "Holy Shit! This place is awesome" Eddie said as he looked around.

"I know right, it's like better than any dhampir gym ever." I said.

Vika and Matt had been stretching but when they saw us enter, they started walking towards us. Eddie saw Vika walking towards us and obviously picked out that this was Dimitri's younger sister.

"Wow Belikov, you would look good as a girl" Eddie said jokingly. I thought I heard growls from Dimitri and Matt, as he was close enough to hear the conversation. Matt took it one step further and put his hand around Vika's waist and pulled her closer to him.

I let out the biggest laughed and Eddie soon followed me. I have known Eddie since I was 4 years old, so I understood his humor. I was bent over because I was laughing hard that I had tears coming down my face and I gasping for air.

I was aware that Dimitri was saying something to me, but Eddie and I were laughing so hard that I couldn't make out what he was saying. Suddenly Dimitri took me down onto the mat and started tickling me.

"Did you think that was funny?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes" I managed to squeak out between gasps. Dimitri continued with this torture for about a minute when I finally said "Stop, stop, you win, I don't think its funny."

Dimitri laughed and helped me to get up from the mat. I wiped away my tears and took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"Okay, let's start with a 5 mile warm up run on the tracks. Eddie, I have a feeling I know where your skills are from watching you train with Rose, but we will do some informal testing of your skills."

All of us started stretching and then went up to the track and ran our 5 miles. Dimitri was happy because it was the fastest time for me so far. We next went to the weight room and the guys mostly spotted each other and us girls spotted each other or one of the guys spotted.

Dimitri introduced Eddie to the guardians from our team as we ran into them. Dimitri and I sparred as Vika and Matt spared. Dimitri wanted to watch Eddie spar with Celeste, Yuri and himself, while Matt worked with me and Vika. As usual, Dimitri called out missed hits or praised Eddie for good hits like he does with me. And as Eddie and Dimitri sparred, he would stop and work through a move with him and correct his technique.

We finished our training for the morning, so we went back to shower and get some food. Dimitri and I walked out of our bedroom and smelled delicious aromas coming from our kitchen. Baba, Pavel, Oksana and Mark were in the living area waiting for us. I noticed that the dining room table was beautifully set up for all of us.

"Oksana, Mark, how are you doing and thank you so much for coming to Turkey to help us." I said.

"It was really no problem Rose, we are happy to help." Oksana said as she gave me a hug and I felt a little bit better as she most likely healed the darkness in me. I gave her a smile and then hugged Mark. Dimitri shook hands with Mark and then gave Oksana a quick hug and kiss on each cheek, I went over to Baba, gave him a hug and said "Thank you."

The rest of the group arrived and introductions were done just as one of the chefs came out and told us lunch was ready. We all sat down at the table and the chefs brought out a huge amount of food because they were feeding seven dhampirs.

Oksana faced me and said "So what's been going on with Lissa and your bond?"

"Yesterday, I was going to take the darkness in her and then I was going to spar with Dimitri and some of the other guardians. I went into her head, like I always do and I found the darkness, but I found something else. She was blaming me for the crash that killed her family and for her not becoming Queen. She was laughing at me through the bond even as I ran out of the gym."

Dimitri pulled me closer to him, putting an arm around me and kissing the top of my head.

Pavel continued "Shortly after Rose ran out of the gym, Christian took Lissa back to their house and her behavior got worse. So he called Abe and I to come over and see her and with the doctor we decided to have her sedated and sent to the infirmary."

"What was she saying when you got there?" Mark asked.

Abe cleared his throat and said "I don't think it's necessary to discuss what she said, we should just concentrate on her erratic behavior."

I sighed at that information and I felt Dimitri pull me even closer. "It's okay Baba, just tell us what she said, it's better if we know what we are fighting."

Baba took a big breath and exhaled loudly "She was talking to Christian about killing you."

Dimitri's grip on me tightened as he pulled me even closer. Everyone seemed to have lost their appetite after that.

Pavel said "Why don't we go over to the infirmary, they are decreasing her sedation ." Vika and Matt had decided to stay behind but Eddie, Celeste and Yuri wanted to go and offer Lissa and Christian support.

Dimitri pulled me aside and said "Rose, if anything happens, I am getting you out of there, I need you to tell me that you understand 100%."

"I do understand." I said as my arms went around his waist and I pulled him closer to me. In response, his arms wrapped around me tight and he kissed the top of my head, then rested his cheek on top of my head.

Dimitri and I caught up to the group quickly. Pavel led us over to where the infirmary was located and he pointed out what certain buildings were since we had not had a chance to really explore. The infirmary was located on the first floor of one of the buildings which housed the guardians.

As we walked into Lissa's room, I saw Lissa laying in the bed peacefully, Christian was in a chair by her side holding her hand and one of the doctors was doing something with an IV bag, which I assumed was her sedation. Christian looked up at us and it looked like he hadn't slept since this all happened.

Pavel introduce Oksana and Mark to Christian and the doctor, explained Oksana's abilities and what we hoped we could accomplish.

"I can't hear any thoughts in her mind on the sedation, but before we turn off the sedation, Rose can you go in through the bond and see if you can see anything." Oksana said.

I nodded my head and Dimitri gripped my waist tighter. I couldn't see into her head, it was as if it was blocked by a black mass. I relayed this information to everyone as I closed the bond and opened my eyes.

"Let's take her off the sedation and I will monitor her and let everyone know what she is thinking as she comes off sedations" Oksana said.

I noticed Mark standing similar to Dimitri and I, he had an arm around her waist lending his support to her. We waited for awhile for Lissa to wake and when she finally started to wake, Oksana was able to see that someone had used compulsion on her.

"Adrian?" I asked.

"No, I don't think so this is someone more powerful than Adrian, as soon as she is awake, I can use compulsion on her see if she knows who did this." Oksana said.

"Where are the feeders?" Mark asked.

Baba answered "The room right next door and I have more on their way in."

No one said a word as we all stared at Lissa, waiting for her to wake up. After a few minutes, she started to stir, she opened her eyes and started to look around at everyone. Once Lissa saw me, she narrowed her eyes and spit out "Rose"

Dimitri whispered in my ear "Put your walls up."

Before Lissa could say anything more, Oksana sat on the bed and spoke in that sweet compulsion voice. "Lissa someone used compulsion on you, do you remember who it was?"

Lissa looked like she was trying to remember something "I don't know, I pulled into a spirit dream, but whoever it was they stayed in the shadows."

"Do you remember what they said?" Oksana asked.

"They told me that Rose has been behind all the bad things that have happened to me and I should kill her before she kills me."

"Did the voice sound familiar?"

Lissa took some time to recall and said "Actually, it kind of sounded like Victor Dashkov."

Baba spoke up "If Victor Dashkov is involved than it is most likely that Robert Doru is the one who dream walked her."

Oksana then began using her abilities with compulsion to remove it and prevent Robert from doing it again. "I don't know if I can use spirit to prevent any type of compulsion from anyone, but it might be worth a try." Oksana said "And I healed a little bit of the darkness, let me see if I can do a little bit more."

Oksana touched Lissa's head and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, it was obvious she was drained from healing Lissa. Oksana attempted to stand up but she wasn't very steady on her feet, so Mark swooped her up into his arms and left the room to go to the feeders.

By this time, Lissa was in tears and Christian was on the bed consoling her. "I'm so sorry Rose, I didn't mean any of it." Lissa cried into Christians shoulder.

"Liss, it's okay, I know it wasn't you." I said hoping she would face me but she wouldn't. Baba and Pavel had excused themselves and after awhile Dimitri said "Let's go back to our room and give Christian and Lissa some privacy."

I nodded and Dimitri led me out of the infirmary and back to our room, as Celeste and Yuri followed. Once we got back to our suite, Dimitri pulled me to him circling his arms around me and asked "What do you want to do Roza? Do you want to spar, hang out downstairs or relax up here."

"I want to cuddle with you but I kind of want to hangout with everyone as well."

"How about we try out the movie theater" Dimitri suggested.

"That is such a good idea" I said getting excited at that thought.

I went to our closet and put on some comfy sweatpants and a t-shirt, Dimitri followed me and changed into a similar outfit. Dimitri told me to let everyone on the second floor know that we are watching a movie. I found Eddie, Celeste and Yuri in what I believed was Eddie's room.

"Hey guys we are going to watch a movie downstairs, are you interested?" I asked.

"Hell yeah" Eddie responded and Yuri and Celeste nodded their heads as well. I went to find Vika and Matt but I couldn't find them but while I was looking for them I let all the guardians I saw know what the plan was. When I walked back to the stairs, Dimitri was coming down and told me he told everyone upstairs and he had found Vika and Matt talking on the fourth floor.

Dimitri and I got there first and we scoped the place out. Dimitri got the popcorn started, then he went to the front of the screen to find a movie for us. I found cups for drinks as well as bags for the popcorn. I put that all out for everyone and then I got soda for me and a beer for Dimitri, then I started looking at all the different candy options.

I picked up a few candy options and then went to claim some seats for Dimitri and I. Dimitri came to sit down next to me in the huge chair with the remote in hand. By this time everyone started arriving and getting drinks and candy, we were just waiting for the popcorn to be done. We were looking at the list of movies to watch and we all settled on the Avengers series.

In-between movies, we got up to refill drinks and popcorn, plus Dimitri asked the chefs to make up some appetizers for us. It would have been one of the best nights of my life if Lissa had been here.


End file.
